Saving Grace
by rockpaperscissors17
Summary: Story begins shortly after season 3 ends; I started thinking about what happens while the guys are in Stockton. If Kozik did end up voted back in would Piney, Opie, and Jax use that to try and oust Clay & Tig? This is my first fan fiction, hope you enjoy
1. Chapter 1

'I told Tig I wouldn't patch back into SAMCRO this way, with him in Stockton, not able to keep me out with his vote,' Kozik began before Piney's raspy voice cut him off.

'Screw Tig. He's in prison for 14 months and no vote for 2 years anyway with his license being revoked. We need you here; don't care what his beef is. Work it out later; this club isn't going to be here next week if you're not part of the Charming charter again right now, brother.'

'Agreed,' came Chibs' thick brogue.

Opie was silent a moment longer, knowing that his Dad hated Tig and Clay for what had happened to Donna almost as much as he did, but not convinced that sneaking Tig's rival into the charter would help things. 'Not sure this is the best move long-term, but for now I think it's our only play. Koz, we need you here full-time, part of SAMCRO.'

Lorca nodded from his temporary place at the head of the table. 'The three full-patch members of SAMCRO vote to accept you into the charter, Kozik. As temporary President, I vote 'aye'. Your being patched SAMCRO gives the Charming club a quorum of four, able to run club business. Per my conversation with Clay and Jax, I name Opie temporary President of the Charming chapter. Tacoma and Rogue River will be sending members to Charming to supplement your numbers during this time, as well as any member of the Nomads or any other charter looking for a change of scenery over the next 14 months,' he declared before banging the gavel.

Kozik wasn't quite sure how to react. On one hand, he had been hoping for a couple months to get back into SAMCRO. On the other, he had also been hoping that he and Tig would have reached some kind of resolution that resulted in a positive vote from his former friend. He had been sincere in his conversation with Tig, only a couple days earlier, that he did not want to sneak back into the charter like a bitch only able to make the cut because of Tig's absence. Kozik knew Tig was being ridiculous, holding Kozik responsible only because he himself could not bear the burden of his mistake, but it still weighed on him, knowing that technically he wasn't really part of SAMCRO no matter what his cut might be saying the next day. Chibs and Piney however had no such qualms.

Piney embraced the younger man. 'Glad to have you back onboard, Koz. Charming needs you, has needed you for awhile now. Proud to see you sporting a Redwood Original patch again.'

'Thanks Piney.'

Chibs pounded the younger man on the back, 'Aye Kozik, it's good to have you back. Heard how you were the one to talk Alvarez into playing dead when you guys were trying to save Tara and the Murphy woman. Good work there, lad.'

'Ah, I just knew Alvarez wouldn't want to see anyone's old lady get killed like that. Mayans won't put up with anyone hurting a woman anymore than the Sons do'.

Piney snorted while Opie gave his Dad a warning look before he reached out to give Kozik a bro hug. 'Thanks for stepping up and coming aboard, brother. Know the situation ain't ideal but I can't see any other play right now.'

Kozik nodded. 'Yeah, I guess it'll work out like this. I know Clay wanted to get some other bodies in the charter before they were all sent to Stockton but things happened a little faster than everyone thought.'

'Yeah, but at least everything else fell into place with Jimmy and Stahl, even if it was a day too soon.'

Lorca cleared his throat, 'Hey, I think I'm gonna take off. If I leave now I can get to Tacoma around midnight. Call if you need anything, anything at all. Give us a couple days to game plan, and I'll let you know who from Tacoma will be joining you. Probably gonna rotate guys out every coupl'a weeks unless someone has a hankering to stick around longer. And Koz, your spot is always open at Tacoma as long as I'm President.'

Kozick and his former president hugged. 'Thanks, Lorca. 'Precciate it man.'

Opie shook hands with the older man. 'Thanks for helping us out, Lorca. Don't know what we'd've done without ya' brother.'

'Call me anytime, Opie. Know you've got a lot riding on your shoulders without much warning, Tacoma will be available for anything you need, man.'

And with that, the Tacoma president left the room. The four SAMCRO members looked around at each other. All were suddenly hit with the realization of all that had happened within the past 24 hours. Stahl and Jimmy O had been taken care of, with Opie and Chibs each getting some measure of revenge. ATF had taken care of the Russians for them, the only good thing that Stahl had done since blighting Charming with her presence. Clay, Jax, Tig, Juice, Happy, and Bobby were in Stockton, beginning their 14 month ticket. Jax's bold plan to let Stahl think he'd turned rat in order to clear his mother of murder charges, and to get the club short-time for the weapons' charges, had actually worked. Yes the club was low on numbers at a time they needed growth, but things could and should have been so much worse for them. With Kozik getting voted into the Charming charter, they would be able to immediately get to work on the next step needed to implement the deal Clay had worked out with the Irish council to get SAMCRO more involved in their West coast gun running operation.

'Tomorrow I'm gonna set up calls with Rogue River and Nevada,' Opie decided. 'I think they're gonna be key in helping us with this new enterprise. Indian Wells hasn't been involved much more in business since the patchover, now's the time they need to step it up for us. Chibs guess I'd like you to act as my VP; Kozik since you were SAA at Tacoma, makes sense for you to fill in that role here. Pops, think you can take over handling Bobby's duties as Treasurer?'

Piney rolled his eyes. 'Yeah, think I can handle collecting money, son. Just don't ask me to start baking them damn muffins, okay?'

With a laugh, Opie banged the gavel. 'Guess that ends the first official meeting for the four of us. Might as well have a few drinks tonight, have some fun. Have a feeling we'll be working our asses off the next 14 months'.

Koz walked out of Church at Opie's side. 'Think maybe we should look at hiring a few mechanics? We're down 6, and I think the 4 of us might have our hands full enough with other matters we might not be able to keep Teller-Morrow running smoothly alone. Phil seems to be pretty damn good with the cars, but Miles seems a little lacking in his mechanic education.'

'Yeah, good point. I'll see if Gemma has any ideas about that. Hope she can get that anklet to include working in the office and not just being kept to house arrest. With all the guys away, we really need her around. I'm gonna see if Lyla can help out, too. She knows shit about fixing cars, but she can answer the phones and type and shit'

'Right, right. She's a sweet girl,' Kozik offered awkwardly, not really sure what to say about the idea of the porn star turning into office help.

'Yeah, she's great. Her and Tara really get along, seems like they bonded while we were in Ireland. Before Tara was kidnapped and all.'

'Tara saw Lyla slap the shit outta Ima after she slept with Jax. They seemed to spend a lot of time together after that. They both seem kinda lonely.'

Opie nodded slowly. 'I can see that, brother. Weird shit going on around the club lately, makes it hard to get into the old lady groove. Donna was never really part of it; Lyla has to be. What about you, man? You got an old lady hanging back in Tacoma you'll be bringing to Charming?'

'Nah. Had one; she got sick of the life and took off 5 years ago. Since then,' the handsome blond shrugged. 'ain't found a woman worth the effort of anything regular. I do all right. And when I don't, there's always some croweater or sweetbutt hanging around, you know?'

It was Opie's turn to shrug. He'd been with Donna since high school, then Lyla since Donna's death. Sure, there'd been blowjobs and fucks on runs, but for the most part Opie had been in relationships since he'd first been with Donna. It wasn't that he'd ever consciously thought about fidelity, it's just the way it had worked out for him. He knew he might be considered unusual in the club life, but it also struck him that it was weird how some of the guys never settled down with one woman, content to keep urges filled by whoever happened to be around and caught their eye on any given night. Seemed to him like there should be some kind of happy medium, but what did he know?

'Yeah? She just took off?'

'Yeah,' Koz repeated softly. 'Woke up one morning and all her shit was gone. Note on the kitchen table begging me not to look for her. Said she just wanted a shot at a normal life, was tired of the MC. Sent me a postcard a couple years ago; married some guy and living in Michigan. Said she was happy. Missed me, but was happy just being married to some guy who worked in a factory and wouldn't ever dream of getting into a fight, let alone being the badass killer SaA of some MC crew,' Koz laughed a little.

'Sorry, bro,' Opie picked up on the slight sadness his brother felt at reliving the memories. 'Guess she wasn't the right one.'

'Right? Don't think such a creature exists for me, a 'right one'. But hey, having fun banging my way through the west coast to see if I can find her.'

Opie left Stockton prison, pleased his meeting with Clay had gone as well as it had. The gruff President (Opie knew his title was only temporary, and Clay or Jax would be taking it over as soon as the prison sentences had been fulfilled) had known Kozik would have been voted into the charter. There was no other play available to them, not to get the charter up to quorum immediately. Tig wouldn't be happy, but there was nothing to be done about it. Having four full members was a priority, and it wasn't like there were people lined up waiting for the opportunity. Better to have Tig pissed than to vote in prospects months too early. Or to let in members from other charters that Clay didn't know as well as he knew Kozik. Sure, he didn't know the entire story behind Tig's hatred of the former Tacoma SaA. But he knew Kozik, knew him from when he was a part of SAMCRO, and knew of him from Lorca as the Tacoma charter's SaA, knew him from the time he'd been hanging around Charming lately, hoping to patch back in. What he knew more than qualified the guy to be a part of his crew, a man that Clay had wanted voted in from the moment Kozik had mentioned wanting to patch over. Clay assured Opie that he was fine with the vote, it was exactly what he had hoped would happen as soon as he had realized there would be no chance for him to get another warm body voted in before the majority of his club was sent off to Stockton.

Opie got back to Charming right after lunch. The guys were swamped with work orders; as much as club business needed to get taken care of quickly, he realized for the next few hours he was going to be busy changing oil, tires, and doing whatever else needed doing at T-M. A quick stop in the office revealed Chucky and Tara swamped with the phones and paperwork. Piney wasn't able to do much car repair work anymore, but for the day he was in the thick of it.

'Tara, can you place a couple ads in the paper? Clay wants to hire at least 3 experienced mechanics as soon as possible. We'll have brothers coming in from other charters but need to have guys that are only focused on the garage to free the Sons up for club business when needed. Rosen had already been and gone this morning. Gemma's not gonna be allowed at T-M in the immediate future so Clay wants to hire some kind of office manager so none of us have to worry about running this place for now. How far behind are we today?'

Tara shrugged. 'Most of the scheduled repairs are fine. What's killing us is all the drop-ins for oil changes, a/c flushes, stuff like that. Think there's a lot of Charming residents just wanting to check out what's going on with all the guys at Stockton. Did Clay specify what exactly he wants in this office manager person?'

It was Opie's turn to shrug. 'Might wanna call Gemma about that. She knows more than anyone what's needed to run this place.'

'I need to pick up Abel soon anyway; he has a dr.'s appointment. I'll check with her then. Opie, did you get to see Jax?'

'Nah, just Clay. He said they're all doing good. Not happy about doing the time but glad the plan worked and its short-time not hard.'

Tara smiled weakly. 'Right. Thanks.'

'Jax'll be fine, Tara. He's got Clay and the others there for him. You did good, you know? Without your help, don't know if the club could have pulled off the entire plan. Remember that, Tara. When it came down to it, Jax trusted you even more than his mother. So did Clay.'

'Yeah. Better get going. Think you've got a few cars to work on, and I'm not sure how Gemma's going to react to being replaced here at the garage.'

'Worse comes to worst, give her some extra time watching Abel. She'd rather do that than run the garage any day. Thanks again, Tara.'

'See you later, Opie.'

The afternoon flew by for everyone. Opie, Chibs, Piney, Kozik and the rest continued to work on a constant stream of cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Gemma wrestled with pinning down the qualities she wanted to see in whoever took over running the Teller-Morrow office in her extended absence. Tara had her hands full with the specialist checking over Abel, her own OB appointment, and working out a schedule to work at St. Thomas that would allow her time with Abel and to help out T-M for at least the next couple weeks. Meanwhile, a new visitor to Charming settled into a hotel room, wondering if maybe this would become her new home; if a new job would turn up for her


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thank you so much for the story alerts and review, I'm glad you all found the opening chapter interesting enough to want to read more, and hope you continue to enjoy. One thing I've changed in the SOA world - which of course belongs to Kurt Sutter and not me - is that in my story, Tara did not read the letters from JT to Maureen.

The next morning found Tara alone in the T-M offices. She wasn't sure how it happened, and she wasn't entirely pleased by the prospect. Of course she was willing to help; it would just have been nice to get some warning about it. She felt a little guilty about being so irritated because she knew the mechanics were really feeling pressure about the loss of six of their coworkers. Granted, not all of them were always constantly working. There was usually a fair amount of downtime at T-M, needed to be for whenever one of the SAMCRO patches needed to take care of club business instead. But being so short-handed meant not only was there no downtime, but that the guys were already getting stressed out about it. Not too mention that Tara was a little uncertain handling some of the calls, not being accustomed to figuring out how much time would be needed for most of the jobs. She was worried that the guys were going to be pissed at her, mad that she was creating backlogs for them when yet another person walked into the office.

'Hi, can I help you?' she tried to be friendly and positive.

'Hope so. Came out of my hotel room this morning to find a big puddle under my car. Think it's anti-freeze, but not sure or what caused the leak. How long until someone can take a look at it for me?'

Tara sighed. 'I'm just not sure. Probably a couple hours. Do you need to be leaving right away; you said you were staying in a hotel?'

'No, not really. Kinda drifting at the moment, looking for a new home. Which is difficult when you don't have a clue where you want to settle or what you want to do,' the pretty redhead confided with a laugh.

'I bet,' Tara found herself laughing a little too. 'Tell you what; why don't you leave the car here for now? I'll try to get one of the guys to look at it as soon as possible. In the meantime I can call you a cab if you want to go back to the hotel. Or if you have anywhere you need to be in the next hour or so?'

'I'm free and aimless. Had planned on finding a place to get some coffee and maybe snag some wi-fi so I could check out employment ads, and places to rent. You know, maybe answer the whole 'is this where I want to live and if so is there a job that will let me live here' dilemma. If I can have a cup of coffee and wi-fi I can settle in right here for now.'

'Sure you're welcome to coffee, help yourself to a donut or bagel too if you'd like. I think Juice has the place set up to enable wi-fi connections. What kind of job are you looking for?' I'm Tara, by the way.'

'Courtney, nice to meet you,' the redhead tossed a smile over her shoulder as she added two creams and a sugar to her coffee. 'Um, I don't know exactly; just have been stopping in random towns when I don't feel like driving anymore and comparing what jobs/salaries are available to the local cost of living. Not the best game plan, I know. I just had to make a change in my life and I'm trusting in the Universe that when I find the place to be, I'll know.'

Tara laughed softly. 'I actually kind of know what you mean. Hey, you don't happen to have any experience running a garage or any kind of business, do you? We're looking for an office manager. Probably not a permanent position, but a good 6 months at least, maybe longer. Pays not that great, benefits are worse, and the guys are all pretty crude. But it would be steady work. Minimum 40 hours a week, could be more than that if you want.'

'Yeah? I have office experience. Not for an auto repair shop though. But I've managed a couple businesses before. And no offense, but I'm pretty sure I could figure out a way to organize some of this paperwork that's floating around and have it filed away in within an hour.'

'Really? 'Cause Gemma's system might work for her but it drives me crazy. I can't stand the lack of order in this office.'

Courtney smiled. 'Ah, so you're just helping out? Not really your job?'

'No, I'm a pediatric surgeon at St. Thomas, the local hospital. My fiancé's Mother and step-father own Teller-Morrow. I'm just helping out.'

'Ah, so Gemma the soon-to-be evil step-mother?,' Courtney winked.

Tara's laugh rang out, causing Opie, Chibs, Kozik, and Piney all to take a brief look over to see who was making Jax's girl laugh like that. 'Sometimes. It's complicated.'

'Complicated,' the other woman sighed. 'I get complicated. Not your complicated probably, but complicated. Well, I guess maybe you should give me all the details of this office manager position.'

And so ten minutes later, Courtney found herself in the passenger seat of Tara's car. Being driven to Gemma Teller's house to interview for the position of Office Manager at Teller-Morrow. Because Gemma Teller was under house arrest for killing another woman in self-defense and then leaving the country and jumping bail, so therefore couldn't conduct an interview onsite. And Gemma's husband, and her son (Tara's fiancé), as well as 4 other men who worked as mechanics for Teller-Morrow had just been shipped off to Stockton prison to serve a 3 year (14 months with good behavior) sentence for some kind of federal gun charges. And they were all part of some kind of motorcycle club that had a clubhouse on Teller-Morrow property, but wasn't actually part of the garage, even though all the members of the club were employed by T-M. Although not all the mechanics were members of the club. Courtney was a little confused by the whole thing and wasn't even sure how it came to be that she was considering this job possibility. But she liked the brunette doctor from the moment she'd walked into the T-M office. And she had to believe there was some significance in the fact that she ended up randomly at some garage, talking about needing a job when there was a job she was qualified for available at that garage. Overqualified in some aspects. Underqualified in others. And both she and Tara figured that meant she was perfect for the position.

'Don't let Gemma sense fear. Be confident. Don't bullshit her. Gemma can smell nervousness like a shark smells blood. But if you can hold your own and not let her push you around, she'll respect that. T-M is almost like one of her babies. I don't think anyone else has ever really run the office before, it's always been Gemma, John before he died, and Clay. I did some work back in high school, over breaks and stuff. Piney and Chucky lend a hand these days, but it's really all Gemma the last 15 years or so. She's tough but if she likes you, you're gold.'

'It's just a job interview, right? I'm roaming the West coast, looking for where I'm supposed to be. If this doesn't work out, if Gemma and I don't click, I'll just be moving on to the next job interview; the next town.'

Tara nodded thoughtfully as the door opened. 'Hey Gemma, this is Courtney James. Courtney, this is Gemma Teller.'

'Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Teller.'

'Gemma.', she replied shaking the proffered hand briskly while looking over the woman casually dressed in beige linen slacks, an emerald green tank top, and a long-sleeve beige linen shirt. 'Tara, Abel needs a bath. Why don't you take care of him while I deal with Ms. James?'

'Sure thing, Gemma. How is he?'

'Fine. Slept through the night. Ate a big breakfast. He's a good boy.'

'Yes he is.'

'Courtney, have a seat and tell me why you think you could run Teller-Morrow garage while Clay, Jax, and I are unable to?'

And so began the interview. Gemma was her usual blunt self, trying to get a sense of the other woman's moral code and boundaries without really giving away anything about SAMCRO. Although the garage was a totally separate entity from the club, there was no way to be certain that ATF or some other law enforcement agency wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of the situation to plant a spy in the garage aspect of things. Gemma wanted to be suspicious of this young woman who happened to show up, needing a job, at exactly the right time, but the more she talked to Courtney the more she liked her and thought she'd be a perfect fit. Smart enough to be able to handle running the garage with a fairly easy transition. But ignorant enough about the MC life to not go poking around in the club's business. Hopefully. After twenty minutes, Gemma decided to offer the younger woman the job. It was a risk, the ad hadn't even been placed to run yet and a better candidate could show up. But if Courtney agreed, they could begin going over things immediately and hopefully have the office aspect running fairly smoothly within a few days. Courtney wanted a chance to think it over, and take a look at housing options before she made a final decision, so it was decided if she wanted the job she should return to Gemma's 24 hours later to begin her training. If she didn't show up, the ad would go live. Tara and Courtney headed back to the garage.

'What do you think? Sound like something you want to do?'

'I think maybe yes,' Courtney said thoughtfully. 'Need to check out a few things, like I told Gemma. But the job sounds like it would be interesting and a chance to learn a new business. Guess what I really need to find out is if the money Gemma offered would allow me to find a decent place to live and replenish my savings a bit after having lived off it the past month.'

'I have a house you could rent. I came back to Charming after my Dad died; to take care of his estate, including doing something with his house. And I haven't done anything with it really. Packed some shit and that's about it. I live at Jax's; I guess it's our place now. I've been trying to decide if I should rent or try to sell. I could have it emptied out by the weekend for you to move in; do you want to check it out? Nothing fancy. 2 bedrooms, 1 bath. Big living room; small dining room. Nice yard with a deck, fire pit, screened porch, garage. It's paid for; I'd just need enough rent to cover insurance and property tax really. Not looking to make money off it, especially from a friend, just want to break even. Not that we're friends, we just met, but I think we could be friends,' Tara ended awkwardly.

'Sounds great, I don't need a lot of space. Let's take a look. And if I stay in Charming, I could totally see us becoming friends. It's weird, but I feel like I've known you for a long time. Not to be a total cheese ball or anything…'

'Yeah, me too. Here we are,' Tara pulled into the driveway of her childhood home, the place where Kohn had died and she and Jax had rekindled their relationship.

'It's kinda cute,' Courtney responded. 'A few planters of flowers, maybe some solar lights and the yard would be amazing.'

Armed with the hourly wage Gemma was offering for working at T-M garage, and the layout of the Knowles' house along with the money Tara would want to charge for her to live there, Courtney was quiet on the drive back to the garage. She was running numbers in her mind, knowing that she would be unlikely to find such a great housing deal anywhere. Ever again. Not to mention that she felt the money being offered for the T-M position was decent for what the job seemed to entail. Of course she had a feeling the job was going to be much more complicated than what she was expecting. No matter how many times people spouted the 'motorcycle enthusiast' line at her, Courtney was pretty sure this was one of those Hell's Angels type clubs made of guys who would as soon kill her as look at her if she said or did the wrong thing. And some of them were the same guys who were T-M mechanics, the very same men she would be handing slips of paper telling them to change oil on some Ford or whatever. Courtney found herself torn between knowing this was a great opportunity for her to figure out what to do with her life, and fearing that getting involved with these people might be a very bad thing.

'Tara, I need to ask you something?'

'Go ahead,' Tara heard the hesitation in the other woman's voice.

'This motorcycle club the mechanics belong to, it's a little more than just a bunch of guys who like to ride and hang out together, isn't it? I mean, I get why everyone seems to be portraying it to me, someone who doesn't even live here as something…casual. But I have a little trouble believing that's all there is to it when there are all these other guys who are part of the club doing time in prison. And I am seriously wanting to accept this job and rent your house and make Charming my new home, but I'd also kind of like to know ahead of time if I'm getting into something that could get me arrested or killed.'

Tara was quiet for a minute then pulled into the diner's parking lot where she stopped the car and turned in her seat to face Courtney. 'I can't tell you much, I'm sorry. You're right, you're an outsider. And it doesn't have anything to do with not being from Charming, it has to do with being outside the club. Teller-Morrow is what it appears to be, it's an auto-repair business. All legal and not a front for anything else, just a garage that employees a bunch of men who are part of SAMCRO. Not all of them, but a lot of them. And SAMCRO is a bit more than a casual group. They're a family; they have their own rules and code of conduct. Some of it may be a bit outside the law, but I promise T-M isn't part of that world at all. If you take the job, I'm sure Gemma will fill you in on what she thinks you need to know but you're safe to work there. You seem like a really nice person, and I wouldn't have said anything to you about the job if I didn't think it was appropriate, but the guys really do work hard to keep T-M as straight as it can be. That's actually an important part of Gemma's job, making sure everything is up to code and licenses are current and all that legal stuff is taken care of. As far as your safety, the club works really hard to keep their shit out of Charming. And one thing about these guys, they will do anything to protect their own. You wouldn't be part of the club, but working for the shop would put you under the umbrella of SAMCRO protection if something would come down.'

It was Courtney's turn to sit quietly for a moment as she tried to make sense of what Tara was saying without saying. 'I'm not sure if you've made me feel better or worse. I somehow know more, yet less, than I did before. And gotta be honest; I don't think my imagination filling in the gaps is a good thing.'

'You know what, I don't care what Gemma thinks. If you were from Charming you'd know about SAMCRO. And if you live here, even if you don't take the job but find one somewhere else, you'll hear the stories. I'd rather you hear that from me. I won't tell you club secrets, but I'll tell you the stuff that's general knowledge. Why don't we grab some lunch and we'll go back to T-M and eat at one of the picnic tables, they're far enough away from anything we can have some privacy while I'm available if something comes up where I need to help out.'

'Yeah, okay. Sounds good, Tara. Thanks.'

Half an hour later, the two young women had their food spread out on the table farthest from the garage. The clubhouse was dead, with all the Sons, prospects, and hangarounds working hard there was no reason for croweaters to be hanging around in the daytime. Tara gave a succinct but detailed breakdown on the history of SAMCRO. She went all out, giving out as much information about recent misfortune that she knew had been in the papers. Kip's murder at Cameron Hayes' hand, Abel's kidnapping. The drive-by at Kip's wake, resulting in her friend, Deputy Chief David Hale's death. The kidnapping of herself and Margaret Murphy. The fact that she killed Luisa in self-defense while trying to escape. That Jax had killed the man who had kidnapped them, when Salazar attacked him with a fire ax. Gemma's legal woes, as well as the incident that had landed the boys in prison had already been covered by Gemma. All of this information was definitely public knowledge and well-documented. But Tara was able to tell more than the news told. She recounted her terror when Cammy Hayes, a man whose life she had saved only a couple months before, threatened her and Half-sack with first a gun then a knife. The fear that she was going to see Jax's son, a baby she had also helped save with her surgical skill, murdered in front of her. The brave prospect, a young man who had lost a testicle in service to his country fighting a war against terrorists in a sandy desert halfway across the world, who had given his life to save Abel, Tara, and her unborn baby. How guilty she felt for not doing more to stop Hayes from taking Abel. How the club had pulled together and risked everything to find Abel and bring him home. She talked about croweaters and sweetbutts. Luanne and the porn studio had to be mentioned.

It wasn't a pretty story, Tara knew that. She'd left Charming and SAMCRO 10 years earlier because it was the kind of stuff she feared happening, the life she thought she didn't want to lead. But Jax was in her blood, and she was now tied to him permanently. She'd made her final peace with being his old lady the moment she'd agreed to be the one to drive Jimmy O, tied up and in the trunk of her car, back to the clubhouse. She knew everything now, for her and Jax there were no more secrets. Hearing her own voice recount the horrible shit that had happened over the last year, Tara wondered once again how this had not only become her life, but actually sound almost normal. She fell silent, she'd told all she could and the rest was up to Courtney.

Courtney listened to Tara in growing disbelief. The history of the founding of SAMCRO, how the club kept getting larger and expanded into different charters was interesting. The structure of each charter was also interesting, with the idea of Presidents, VPs, Sergeant at Arms, Treasurers, and meetings that were required attendance. Votes that had to be unanimous among all patched members. How they considered themselves to be brothers, and although they were obviously closer to members of their own charter, anyone with a Reaper cut and SAMCRO rocker was instantly trusted family. She wasn't the smartest person on the planet, but Courtney had already figured out that the SAMCRO guys weren't the most respectable guys on the planet just based on the fact that six of them were doing time for gun possession. But hearing about murders and kidnappings, and kidnappings, and murders and drive-by shootings had her freaked out.

Courtney looked at Tara, her face as neutral as possible. 'No offense, but multiple murders, kidnappings, and a drive-by at a wake… that's keeping shit out of Charming? What would be happening if _all_ the shit was going on here?'

'I know, it sounds really bad. It _is_ really bad. Was really bad. There was this ATF agent, June Stahl,' Tara decided to go all in and for the first time tell someone the story she, Jax, Opie, and Koz (who Tara had recently discovered was a lot smarter than he was given credit for, generally content to be seen as brawn, quietly using his brains behind the scenes) had concocted to explain as much of the gun and kidnapping business as possible. 'Agent Stahl was trying to shut-down a gun smuggling operation funded by the True IRA. Cameron Hayes was working for a man named Jimmy O'Phelan, and they were part of this group. Stahl thought SAMCRO was working with the Irish because one of the founding nine, McGee, is from Belfast, although she had absolutely no evidence to prove her suspicions. Cameron and his son Edmund made a mistake though, and Stahl was able to get Eddie to turn rat on his Dad, Jimmy O, and the rest of the Irish. I'm still a little unclear of all the details, but somehow Gemma ended up at Haye's place where Eddie's girlfriend tried to shoot her. Gemma fired back, killing Polly before she was killed. Somewhere in all of this, Stahl's partner, Agent Tyler, was punched by Edmund and she shot and killed him as he was trying to escape. God knows why, but Tyler blamed both killings on Gemma, so when Stahl reported over the radio that Gemma had killed Eddie Hayes, Cameron heard and that's when he came to our house, killed the prospect, tied me up and took Abel. He fled to Belfast, where the Irish took him out for screwing things up with ATF, for killing Kip, and kidnapping Abel. That's why Gemma fled custody and left the country, she went with the guys to find Abel and bring him home. The truth came out about how Polly and Eddie were really killed, so all the murder charges were dropped, and so Gemma's only on house arrest for jumping bail or fleeing jurisdiction, I don't remember what they settled on. Jimmy O'Phelan came back to the US, the Irish wanted to kill him for his part in the whole situation with Hayes, the ATF, and getting SAMCRO mixed up in the investigation. He made a mistake and ATF arrested him. Somehow the True IRA got wind of it, set up an ambush and killed both Jimmy and Agent Stahl. Since then things have been quiet. And should stay that way. The IRA/ATF shit is all over with. SAMCRO can go back to fixing cars and making sure that drugs and violence stay out of Charming instead of getting involved in other peoples' crap.' And that was that. Either the story would scare Courtney out of town, or she'd know exactly what the club wanted her to know about that situation.

'I see. Seriously, a federal agent lied about shooting an informant and framed an innocent woman? Why would she do that?'

Tara shrugged, interested that this was the first bit of the story Courtney asked about. 'Not completely sure. Tyler was shot and died when Jax, Jacob Hale, and I were being rescued from Salazar. Gemma had already made a statement to the US Attorney as to what Tyler had done, and as Tyler was dying she confessed to Stahl that Gemma had told the truth, Tyler had lied trying to save the case Stahl was building against Cameron, Jimmy O. Turns out Agents Tyler and Stahl were in a relationship, and she was just trying to protect her lover's career or something.'

'Jesus. Wow. What a crazy story. I still don't understand your kidnapping though.'

'That's another long story. Short version; Salazar was trying to impress the leader of a big Mexican club so he and his crew decided to do a drive-by at the wake. And help smuggle Heroin through Charming from Lodi to Stockton. Both things were big mistakes, turned the Mayans against the guy instead of building up his cred. Found out Jax and most of the club was gone, decided to take out his anger on me since for whatever reason he decided to blame Jax for his own stupidity. I know, it all sounds so crazy and bad and violent. But like I said before, the garage is a separate entity from SAMCRO. Garage business is garage business. Club business goes to the clubhouse.'

'But how is that even completely possible if the mechanics are the club?'

'Work is work and club is club. If any of the guys are working and something comes up they need to do for club business, they leave the garage.'

Courtney sighed. 'I don't know, Tara. The more you tell me, the worse it all seems. You're a doctor, how are you so comfortable with all this? Especially after having your life in serious jeopardy two times because of it.'

Three times, Tara thought to herself, remembering the situation with Kohn that only she and Jax knew about. 'Work is work, club is club. Jax and I have been in love since we were kids. I left Charming after high school because I wanted more out of life than SAMCRO. I came back because there was a void in my life and I knew only Jax could help fill it. I still struggle with aspects of it. Being an old lady is hard. Being the VP's old lady is even harder. I hate the croweaters and sweetbutts and strippers and all that. I hate the mistrust and assumptions of evil that go along with the preconceived notions of being part of a motorcycle club. But I love Jax. I love Abel. I love our unborn baby. God help me, I've even come to love Gemma again,' Tara laughed.

'Yeah?' came the puzzled response.

'My mom died when I was eight. Jax and I became friends in like 4th grade, and Gemma kinda became my surrogate Mom. She hated me when I left town. Because not only did I leave town and break her baby's heart, but I tried to take him with me. When I came back, let's just say it took a long time to get back on her good side. Not dying to protect Abel from being kidnapped set us back a bit, but then when she realized I was pregnant and that's why I didn't fight Cameron, well that helped.'

'How far along are you?'

'About 9 weeks. Haven't really told many people yet. Wouldn't have told Gemma but she figured it out. Jax and Clay know. Lyla, Opie's girlfriend, she knows. I think Jax told Opie, but don't think the rest of the club knows.'

'Congratulations. I won't tell anyone, of course. Think we can find out what's going on with my car? I'd like to go back to the hotel and think things through a bit more.'

'Sure. Let me give you my cell number so you can call if you have any more questions', Tara said as they started walking to the garage. 'Hey Koz, you guys have a chance to work on Courtney's car yet?'

The handsome blond came jogging over, giving the pretty redhead his best smile. 'Yeah, I'm sorry the news isn't the best. You have a cracked head, need to get it replaced. I'm surprised it even got you here. We don't have the part in stock here, but I called over to Jimmy's in Lodi, and they actually have one available. If you want us to do the work, I'll head over there now and pick it up. Won't be back in time to get it done today, but should have it ready tomorrow afternoon. Sorry.'

'How much is this going to cost?'

'Probably around $1500. Haven't had a chance to work out an invoice on it yet, just finished looking it over when Tara called me over. Everything else looks great. You take good care of your vehicle, Courtney.'

'Thanks. $1500, huh? So much for a simple leaky radiator,' Courtney sighed.

'You take the job, employee discount'll knock it down to parts,' Tara offered.

Koz raised his eyebrows as Courtney snorted. 'Please tell me you didn't have him make up a more expensive problem to get me to say yes'.

'Job?' Koz asked. 'Are you a mechanic or something?'

'Or something,' Courtney laughed. 'Tara here is trying to talk me into taking over as Office Manager.'

'You should totally do it,' Koz instantly agreed. 'Piney and Chucky both have terrible handwriting, I mean I know Chucky can't help it and all, but figuring out their work orders takes longer than the damn repairs do.'

'How do you know my handwriting is any better?'

'You look like you would have nice penmanship. And you're definitely nicer to look at than either one of them. No offense Tara, you're really pretty but you're Jax's old lady so I can't really enjoy the view.'

Tara and Courtney exchanged looks before collapsing against each other in a fit of laughter. Once again, work at Teller-Morrow came to a standstill as the mechanics looked around to see what the laughter was all about. Koz folded his arms across his chest, watching them with a grin on his face, enjoying that both women were laughing completely uninhibited. Tara had been through so much, Koz still felt guilty he hadn't been able to free her and Margaret Murphy from Salazar any sooner, and it did him good to see her laugh and look happy. The new girl, Courtney, also had looked overly serious earlier, Koz had thought. He didn't know her, but it was nice to see her laughing too. She really was pretty in a totally natural and carefree way. Not all dyed hair, fake boobs, and plastered on makeup like the croweaters and sweetbutts. When they were all that was around, they looked good. But then you see a couple of real women like Tara and Courtney, and you realize how old and tired the other women looked.

'Way to scare her off with sexual harassment before she even takes the job, Kozik.'

'That was no sexual harassment, Doc. That was a statement of fact,' he winked. 'Can't blame a guy for noticing pretty girls. But I apologize if I made either of you feel uncomfortable.'

'Not a problem, and thank you for the compliment, Kozik. You're kinda pretty too. In a manly way, of course.'

This time, Koz's deeper laugh joined the women's. Piney watched closely. Tara already seemed close to this young woman, and Tara was Jax's old lady. If this Courtney and Tara became friends, and then Kozik was interested in her and they became a couple… Well then by the time the other Sons got out of prison, Koz would be closer to Jax, Opie, and their old ladies. Maybe even have an old lady who was their friend too. Then maybe that bastard Tig would finally get his punishment for killing Donna. Kozik may not be completely comfortable with having been voted in without Tig being able to keep him out, but Piney was going to make damn sure the blond stayed in the Charming charter no matter what happened in 14 months. Clay's hands would probably be unable to grip the throttle, unless he was allowed to get his cortisone shots while in prison. That would mean Clay would no longer be President, Jax would take over. And Opie would likely become his VP. Jax wouldn't be obligated to keep on Tig as Sergeant at Arms, and Tig would still be unable to ride or vote for another 10 months after getting out of Stockton. Koz had been Tacoma's Sergeant at Arms for almost 10 years. There was no reason why he couldn't keep that patch in Charming, serving under Jax. And if Tig Trager didn't like that, he could find a new charter to destroy as far as Piney was concerned. In normal times, he wasn't sure where Chibs would stand if it came down to Clay/Tig or Jax/Opie/Kozik. But he knew Chibs felt close to the young VP, and Piney was going to do everything in his power over the next 14 months to strengthen the bond between the Scot, his son, and Kozik so that if it came down to a vote, Chibs would side with them. Of course, the 6 on the inside would be bonding too. He was pretty sure Juice would vote with Clay and Tig, unless Tig pulled something behind bars that would make Juice want to vote against him. Bobby would do what he thought was best for the club, and if they returned to find Kozik solidly united with Opie, there was a chance he'd put his weight behind the two of them and Jax. Happy was a complete unknown. He was loyal to the club, and would probably do whatever the President wanted. It wouldn't matter to him much if that President was Clay or Jax, as long as one was clearly in charge. Happy and Koz had been very close in Tacoma, so Piney suspected that would give him a bit of an edge if there was any confusion or dissension about who was in charge. He'd wanted to kill Clay and Tig after finding out they were responsible for Donna's murder. He still wanted them dead. But he'd settle for Clay being stripped of his President's patch. And Tig stripped of his SaA patch, replaced by the man he hated, would probably be a better revenge than death, Piney decided as he made his way to the laughing trio.

'Hey, Kozik. I think there's still about 4 cars needing repair with your name on them, so think you can leave the tea party now? He bothering you, Sweetheart?'

The words 'tea party' sent the other three back into peals of laughter. Tara had tears running down her face. Courtney was doubled over, gasping for breath. Koz's belly laugh settled into chuckles as he read the speculative look in Piney's eyes. Koz wasn't exactly sure what had happened to make it so, but he was very aware the older man absolutely hated Tig. And he could tell there was coldness between him and Clay as well. Opie hid it better, but tension between him, Tig, and Clay was also obvious. And Kozik was well-aware Jax had been hours away from being a Nomad before Gemma broke the news about her rape and led him back into the Charming fold. He wasn't exactly sure what was going on in the old man's head right now, but it was obvious Piney's wheels were turning.

'Sorry Piney. I was just breaking the news to Courtney here that her head gasket needed replacing and I'd have to go to Lodi to get the part. And an estimate for the cost.'

Piney rolled his eyes. 'Right, that's what's got you all laughing like that. Don't know that we can afford to let you head to Lodi right now, kid. We're already so far behind we'll never get all these jobs done today. I'll send Miles instead. We can afford to lose him for a couple hours, but not you.'

'A'ight. Nice chatting with you, Courtney, Tara.'

'Nice meeting you, Kozik,' Courtney grinned. 'Sorry if I disrupted your work place, Piney.'

'Not a problem, really,' he replied gruffly. 'Good to hear some laughter, to be honest. Just gotta keep the kid on his toes, you know? So. You gonna save me from all this paperwork or what?'

'Not really sure yet,' Courtney answered as the three made their way to the office. 'I have a lot to think about before I make my decision. Gemma gave me until 10 tomorrow morning. I should probably get back to the hotel and figure things out.'

'Give me a few minutes to check things out and I'll give you a ride,' Tara offered.

'I think I'm going to walk. It's not that far, probably about a mile, right? But if I do decide to accept the offer, I might need a ride to Gemma's in the morning. Charming's a pretty small town, you guys even have cab service? Or a bus?'

'There's a cab. If you call now you should be able to reserve it for the morning. Or call here. Someone can run you over there, no problem.'

'I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, and I'll see you tomorrow. For my car if nothing else,' Courtney clarified.

'Bye Courtney.'

Piney waited until he was sure Courtney was out of ear shot. 'What do you think? She gonna take it? Seems pretty smart to me.'

'Yeah, I think Courtney is smart, and she'd be able to handle things pretty well. The office anyway. Had to tell her a bit about the troubles we've had with ATF, the Irish, Salazar. Told her the version Jax, Opie, Koz, and I came up with to tell people our side. That might keep her from taking the job.'

'Hell. Couldn't it have waited?'

'Maybe. But what if I'd lied when she asked me about the club? It's not like all the shit isn't in the papers or anything. Gemma's on house arrest and over half our mechanics are in prison because of gun charges, things she knows already. If I'd sugar-coated stuff too much, and she googled Charming…then even if she took the job she'd walk out, you know. Thankfully the garage has always been clean of club business, and no matter how much she searches the 'net, she's not going to find anything bad. Even if she starts asking questions in town, people might bad mouth SAMCRO, but most everyone still brings their vehicles to T-M because they know our mechanics are the best, and they'll get a fair bill for honest work.'

'Okay, I get it. Seems like you two are already friends. Was Koz hitting on her?'

'I like her. And yeah, there was definitely some flirting going on, but that's it. She's pretty. Koz is a nice-looking guy. He's a different person when Tig's not around.'

'Aren't we all, Sweetheart?'

Tara watched Piney walk outside, a thoughtful expression on her face. She didn't know what had happened to cause the rift between Piney, Clay, and Tig. Opie also had issues with Clay and Tig, he just hid it better. And Tara was pretty sure it was the same thing that had led to the tension between Jax and Clay, and Jax's decision to go Nomad. And now she couldn't help but think that with Tig tucked away in prison and Kozik back in the Charming charter, Piney was plotting a way to prevent Tig from returning to his SaA position in the club once he was released from prison. Tara knew it had been Piney pushing to rush the vote to get Kozik back in during Lorca's brief visit to Charming. The plan really had been for Lorca to sit down with Opie, Piney, Chibs, and Kozik to discuss options. Jury had planned on sending over a couple guys from Indian Wells, who were interested in seeing how things worked in the Mother Charter and they would have probably been voted in to make the quorum. Kozik was reluctant to go behind Tig's back for whatever reason, but somehow Piney had convinced Chibs it was the best play, which had led Opie to agree with the idea. Lorca put his weight behind them, and there was Kozik, now sporting Redwood Original and California patches in place of Tacoma. Tara, if anyone had asked, which they wouldn't, she personally preferred Kozik to Tig any day. She knew what kind of things a SAMCRO SaA had to do, even worse than the other guys, except maybe for Happy who was basically an assassin. But Tig was creepy. She had seen another side to him during the whole situation with Gemma's Dad and the dead caretaker, and even though he'd been helpful, the man still gave off the creepiest energy Tara had ever encountered. Kozik might be just as bad as Tig in some ways, but the guy was generally cheerful and upbeat. And he had a good head on his shoulders. If he'd stayed in the Army, he'd probably be rising through the ranks, Tara suspected. She found it interesting how many club members had spent time in the armed services. Then the phone started ringing, and her quiet time to think disappeared.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Thanks so much for the reviews, favorite story, and story alerts; I appreciate it very much! demonicseer, thank you for the idea I'll see what I can do :)

After a couple blocks of walking, Courtney took off her long-sleeved shirt and tied it around her waist. It was a pleasant day; she enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine. It only took a 4 block walk to end up at the Charming library. Courtney decided to take a look around. She noticed a sign proclaiming free Wi-Fi, so she pulled out her laptop and decided to do some digging. Two hours later, she'd found plenty of information about the Sons of Anarchy. Tara had been upfront about all the things she knew had made the paper. Any discrepancies, well Courtney figured there were two sides to every story and the truth was probably somewhere in the middle of what Tara relayed and what the paper said. Most of it matched up pretty well. Courtney still marveled over the fact that an ATF agent had murdered someone, set up someone else to take the fall for it, and the whole thing ended up with a baby being kidnapped, dead bodies on two continents, and two dead ATF agents. Courtney read the letters to the editor with much interest. A lot of the early letters were clearly against SAMCRO, wanting the MC out of Charming. Although the Teller-Morrow garage was welcome to stay in business, as long as the clubhouse shut it's doors, seemed to be a common thread. But then after the true story behind Edmund Hayes, Polly Zoebelle, and Kip's deaths and Abel's kidnapping had been printed, the tone of most letters changed again. ATF agents lying and getting people killed and babies kidnapped didn't set well with most people, and there was a lot of sympathy for Jackson Teller and the rest of his family, who after all were only trying to save an 8-month old, while the authorities did nothing to find the child. In other words, Courtney thought to herself, the town was just as torn about SAMCRO as she was about taking the T-M job. She sighed again, then packed up the laptop and started walking towards the hotel.

Walking felt nice. Courtney hadn't been working out regularly in the month she'd been driving around aimlessly, and she forgot how pleasant it was to get in even mild cardio work. Lulled by the pace of her walk, and the warm sunshine, she let her mind drift back the last few minutes she'd spent at Teller-Morrow. The laughter shared with Tara, who felt more like long-time friend than a brand-new acquaintance. The cute blond guy with the friendly smile, easy charm, broad shoulders, and muscular thighs. Courtney did like herself a solidly-built man, she had to admit. And even in the mechanics jump suit, it was easy to tell this guy kept in shape. He'd been funny and mildly flirtatious and Courtney realized it had been way too long since she'd flirted with anyone. She knew he was one of these motorcycle guys, she shouldn't be attracted to him she should be running as fast as she could the other direction. But there was no denying the sense of camaraderie she had felt, standing there laughing with Tara and Kozik. And she'd sensed the gruff old guy, Piney, who had interrupted them and got Kozik back on task, had seen it too. There had been something in his eyes as they went between the three of them that had looked speculative and pleased. Courtney shook her head; none of these thoughts were really helping her make a decision. She decided maybe a good, hard run would clear her mind.

Back at the hotel, she stretched for a bit then did a short yoga routine. Pulling up a map of the town, Courtney figured out a route that would give her a good 5-mile run. She headed for the front desk, chatting with the clerk for a few minutes, who told her there was a bike path two blocks North. Most of the locals used it for walking and jogging in addition to biking, so Courtney decided she'd follow the path and spitball how far she'd gone. Worst case scenario, she figured she'd go too far and have to stop running and walk the rest of the way. She gave the clerk a cheery wave, turned on her iPod, and took off.

Since it was only 4 o'clock on a Tuesday afternoon, there weren't a lot of people on the path. Most adults would still be at work, of course. And kids were off doing whatever kids did for fun in this town. Courtney found her running rhythm quickly, and was soon in a zone, only focused on the rise and fall of her feet, the swinging of her arms, her breath, and the music playing in her ears. Running was her zen, the one thing that she could always count on to clear her mind and let her stop over-thinking things. She didn't even notice when the path took her past Teller-Morrow, she was so far down the rabbit hole of no thought.

Kozik looked up and saw her though. He caught sight of that distinctive red hair blazing in the sunshine, pulled high in a ponytail and swinging with each step, and knew it had to be Courtney. The green tank top and black shorts she wore showed the girl had a toned, athletic body, with gorgeous legs and arms most women would kill for. Her stride was smooth and she was moving at a pretty good clip, it was obvious she was a seasoned runner. And the blank yet somehow blissful expression on her face told him that this was a person who worked out not to be skinny, but because she loved the way it felt to be moving. He knew, because that's how he felt in the ring, or working a bag. Like the whole world could melt away, and he wouldn't even care because he was too far gone in his own mind to notice. And just like that, Kozik realized the casual flirtation he'd enjoyed with her earlier was never going to be enough to satisfy him. He wanted her, and he wanted her bad. And that could be bad, he realized. If she was going to be working at Teller-Morrow, he didn't know how he'd keep his hands off her. Gemma would kill him if Courtney took over for her, and then Kozik did something to screw it up. So in that moment, Kozik hoped she decided to not take the job, and to leave Charming as soon as her car was repaired. Then he wouldn't be tempted to do something potentially stupid. Kozik sighed heavily, returning to the carburetor he was tuning.

At 9:00 the next morning, Courtney found herself ringing Gemma's doorbell. She still wasn't convinced it was the best decision she'd ever make in her life, but here she was. She hadn't called a cab, or the garage, opting to walk the three miles instead. Just to give her more time to think it over. But when the house loomed into view, Courtney knew she was going to accept the position. If things ever felt hinky, if any dangerous club shit became apparent to her, she'd just walk away. But the easy camaraderie with Tara had sealed the deal. Thinking about Kozik had almost changed her mind because working with a man she was that attracted to on first meeting could be dangerous, but she had to admit she looked forward to seeing him again. Gemma opened the door, the expression on her face somewhere between a smirk and a grin.

'Morning. Guess this means you're ready to start?'

'Guess it does.'

'You sure about that? If you're not, don't waste either of our time.'

'I'm sure. I won't lie Gemma. I read about the Sons of Anarchy in some news articles at the library yesterday. I know a lot of bad stuff has happened to you, your family, and friends, and this town recently. And I have some concerns about that. But I'm going to believe Tara and you that the garage and the club are two distinct entities, and I'm not going to be unknowingly involved in any kind of club business. And if that's not the case, let me know now, don't waste either of our time,' she repeated Gemma's own words.

Gemma's first instinct was anger. She came very close to punching the other woman in the jaw. Then she reminded herself Courtney was not from Charming, and had no knowledge about SAMCRO, other than what she'd read in the paper, or that Tara or someone else had told her. She could understand on some level the other woman's concern, and realized that the words thrown back in her face weren't from disrespect, but the same kind of upfront attitude Gemma had shown. Courtney had taken a page from Gemma's book, laid her concerns out in the open, and demanded a response. And Gemma respected that.

'Fine. Yeah, there's been trouble lately. A lot of it. Stupid shit, most of it. But the club and the garage aren't the same thing. Are you, or anyone else who works there and isn't SAMCRO 100% safe? No. There's always a chance of blowback on innocent people. There's also always a chance of being in the wrong place at the wrong time for a lot of other things that go down in this world. I get you don't know anything about MC life, okay? But I don't think you're a totally innocent sheltered naïve little girl either. Shit happens in life. SAMCRO ain't perfect, but my guys work hard to keep Charming safe. They make sure nobody's dealing drugs in this town. They make sure gangs stay away from the kids. They do charity runs all the time. Blood drives. They're not bad guys. Just want to live life a little bit different than the rest of the world. They like to ride motorcycles, shot guns, drink hard, party hard, fuck like rabbits, kick the shit out of each other in the boxing ring,' Gemma shrugged. 'Stay out of the clubhouse, stick to working the garage and you shouldn't have any trouble. Simple as that. Tara can help you out. Piney and Opie'll keep an eye on you; make sure there's no trouble. Still want in?'

Courtney nodded slowly. 'Yeah, I do. This is a good job offer. Tara offered me a fantastic rent on her Dad's house. If it doesn't work out, well that could happen even if I was some motorcycle chick, right?'

'Old Lady is usually the term we use. Unless you want to be a croweater, or a sweetbutt that is.'

Courtney wrinkled her nose. 'Yeah, I don't think so. Doesn't sound like my cup of tea.'

'Fair enough. Let's get to work.'

Three hours later, Gemma decided it was time for lunch. Courtney was exhausted, her mind racing. The older woman seemed determined to impart every bit of the business knowledge she had learned over the past 30 years. Which was great, Courtney appreciated the input and knew it would be invaluable. But learning it all in one big session was a bit overwhelming. Gemma was heating up lasagna and garlic bread. Salad fixings were on the island, and without prompting, Courtney washed her hands and set to work. Vegetables were cleaned but most needed chopping. Gemma observed that the other woman was comfortable doing the job, making her way through the work like a seasoned chef. Gemma grabbed a handful of carrots and the two worked in companionable silence for a few minutes.

'So who else is coming to lunch? Or do you just really like salad?'

'I really like salad,' Gemma responded, intrigued the younger woman was already comfortable enough to be sassy. Even people who didn't know Gemma's Old Lady side generally took a long time to be at ease with her. Gemma's temper and lack of patience with bullshit was legendary and people sensed that about her right away. It wasn't that Courtney was rude or disrespectful. She was snarky and sarcastic. Traits Gemma admired, but that most people didn't use on her. It was a refreshing change.

'Me too,' Courtney admitted. 'The more vegetables the better. But this is a lot. And that's a big pan of lasagna in the oven.'

'You're a nosy one, aren't you?'

'Am I? I feel like I'm being curious more than nosy. It'd be nosy if I wasn't eating lunch with you too, but since I am I'm interested in who else will be here.'

'Semantics,' Gemma huffed. 'I don't care how behind they are at the garage; I invited Tara, Piney, Chibs, Kozik, Opie and his girl Lyla, too. The prospects can hold down the fort for a couple hours. We need a little celebration, Kozik getting patched back into Charming from Tacoma; you coming to work in the office. We need to focus on the good things more, that's what I think'

'What does that mean, Kozik getting patched Charming from Tacoma? And yes, that is being nosy. Totally.'

Gemma felt her lips twitch into a smile; this girl was going to either be her saving grace, or drive her to kill. 'Kozik left Charming 15 years ago, and has been a member of the Sons of Anarchy charter in Tacoma, Washington until Monday. Now he's part of the Charming charter again. Means he lives here in Charming now, has a say in the decisions made by SAMCRO.'

'Tara explained a bit of club history to me, how your first husband founded the club and it got bigger and split into other towns and everything. I guess I just don't understand why if it's the same club, it's worthy of celebration for a guy to move to a different town. No offense and sorry to be so dense,' Courtney quickly added when she heard the other woman sigh impatiently. 'I'm not sure if I'm better off learning more about SAMCRO, or forgetting everything I've already been told and just ignore it all.'

'It's not like moving to a new town and changing your library card, Sweetheart. It requires every voting member of your old charter to agree to let you leave. And every member of the new charter agrees to accept you. It's not always automatic that someone will be let go, or voted into the new charter. Kozik was actually denied back by Tig, who doesn't like him for some stupid thing that happened 20 years ago or something. A club needs four members able to vote to be active. We got the Tacoma President to come here for a day, as acting President of Charming. Piney and Chibs talked Lorca and Opie into voting Koz in. Tig'll probably blow a gasket when he finds out, but the club comes first and they need Koz right now. Tig should've manned up and let him in at the last vote but he didn't and that's on him. While Clay, Jax, Tig, Bobby and the rest are in Stockton, Opie's acting President, Chibs Vice President, Koz Sergeant at Arms, and Piney Treasurer. And that's your lesson on club ways for now. Sounds like my guests are here,' Gemma strode out of the kitchen, 'check the temp on the lasagna would ya? Needs to be at 165°.'

When Courtney followed Gemma into the dining room a few minutes later, everyone else was surprised to see her. '140°, needs another 10 minutes. Hey,' she smiled to the room in general.

'Courtney, we thought you decided against the job. Welcome aboard,' Tara said warmly.

'Sorry, I know I didn't call for a ride or anything. I still wasn't sure this morning. Walked over and made my decision when I reached the driveway.'

'Glad to hear it, Courtney. Think you'll fit right in at Teller-Morrow.'

'Thanks Piney.'

Opie introduced Courtney to Lyla. Chibs hadn't spoken with the girl yesterday, so he made his way over to her to say hi and welcome her to the new job. Chatter was light and friendly. Gemma, always observing the people around her, noticed that although Kozik had smiled and threw out a 'glad to hear it' in Courtney's direction, he looked anything but happy at the news if you took a moment to look past the smile. And that made her very curious. Especially with the questions Courtney had asked about the blond biker's patch, coupled with the looks Tara and Piney had both thrown Kozik's way the moment Courtney had appeared in the doorway. She'd gotten the distinct impression that there was some expectation that Kozik would be happier to learn the redhead would be joining the Teller-Morrow team. And she wanted to find out what was going on right now, because if there was a problem between Courtney and Kozik, the girl would be out of a job before she began it.

'Hey, Koz, wanna help me with the heavy lifting in the kitchen?'

Koz and the others were surprised Gemma would ask one of the guys to help in the kitchen, but he thought maybe she wanted to talk to him about some kind of club thing in private so he obediently followed the SAMCRO queen. 'Need something from me Gem?'

'Yeah, what's your problem with Courtney? Do I need to fire her ass before I waste any more time working with her?'

'Naw, Gemma. Don't do that. She's all right.'

'Honey, I saw the look on your face in there. You were not happy to hear she's gonna be working at Teller-Morrow and I want to know why. Times are hard for us; I don't need to tell you that. I ain't sending in somebody whose gonna stir up any shit.'

'It ain't like that Gemma. I kinda like her, okay? But she ain't a club chick. And what happens if I fuck it up with her and she gets hurt or pissed and walks off the job? I don't wanna do anything to stir up any shit either.'

Gemma laid a hand on his arm. 'Oh honey. We all deserve the chance to be happy, to find love. If you like Courtney, don't pass up the chance to do something about it. You're right, she ain't no club chick and never will be a croweater or sweetbutt sucking her way up to Old Lady. But that doesn't mean anything. Look at Tara. She's a fucking doctor for Christ's sake. If it don't work out, I'll find someone else to help out in the office, no worries. Besides, how do you even know she's interested in you?'

Kozik winked at Gemma, suddenly feeling a hundred pounds lighter. 'Oh, I can tell. I saw it in her eyes when we talked yesterday. Thanks a lot, Gemma.'

'Sure thing, Koz. Now carry out that lasagna pan, come on.'

Laughter rang out frequently during the long, enjoyable lunch. Gemma sat at the head of the table, Tara the foot. Piney sat to Gemma's left, Opie to her right. Lyla sat next to Opie. Koz sat next to Piney. And Courtney sat next to Lyla. She noticed Koz seemed lighter, more like himself when he returned to the dining room. He was involved in the conversations, and treated her normally. They flirted a little, but she also flirted a little with Piney and even Opie after a quickly whispered conversation with Lyla. It appeared the three younger women, sitting next to one another, were building a bond. It made Gemma happy and nervous at the same time. If things worked out the way it looked, Tara and Lyla were soon going to be the wives/Old Ladies of SAMCRO's President and Vice President. And who knew? If Kozik stayed loyal to the club and things worked out with Courtney, they could become the Sergeant at Arms and his wife/Old Lady. Right now there really wasn't anyone the right age/experience level to take over for Tig, and Gemma was certain her son would never trust Tig to have his back in every situation. Chibs was a possibility, as was Happy, but she had a feeling if it came down to it, and he was willing, Koz would be Jax's first choice. He was older than her son, but younger than Tig, Chibs, and maybe Happy. Not to mention good at what he did. Maybe even better than Tigger, who everyone knew danced the line between sane and insane a little too closely. Kozik was definitely more mentally stable, and just as competent. Smart too, even though he didn't show that too often, hiding his intelligence behind some combination of good ole boy/surfer boy. Gemma knew there was a good chance Clay would no longer be able to ride once he was free of Stockton, and her goal over the next 14 months was to keep the club and Teller-Morrow as stable as possible so that if Jax had to take over the club, the transition would be smooth. If necessary, she would sacrifice Tig to keep her husband, her son, and the club happy.

'Gem, this has been fantastic,' Piney finally said. 'But I really think Ope, Koz and I need to head back to the garage. Jury's guys should be arriving in about an hour, so that should help ease some of the backlog. Courtney, since you're part of the team now, we're gonna put your car on the backburner, okay? Someone will always be able to take you anywhere you need to go until we get it fixed, so don't worry about that. Comes down to it, you can take the van or tow truck or something, I suppose.'

'Lyla can swing by and take her home at 5,' Gemma decided. 'She'll be ready to hit the garage office tomorrow morning. Opie, why don't you pick her up at the hotel at 7? Piney and Chucky'll be there all day. Tara'll stop in whenever she's free from the hospital and Abel. And of course I'm only a phone call away. If the car ain't fixed by tomorrow at close, someone can take her back to the hotel. Good to see you all again, thanks for coming guys. Tara, Lyla why don't you clean up so Courtney and I can get to work.'


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Many thanks again for the continued reviews and alerts. Writing and posting fan fiction is so new to me, I'm really happy that others are interested in my story **demonicseer **I'm not really sure how long this story is going to be as I don't really have an outline/plan for it – the idea just came to me and I started writing. The way its going though I think it'll be around 50,000 words maybe.Here's a new chapter, enjoy!

The next 2 days were a blur for Courtney. She was in nonstop motion during each day, constantly on the phone, or the computer, or talking to one of the mechanics to ascertain how long they were going to be on whatever job they currently had. Piney, Chucky, and Tara made sure one of them was always available to help her. By the time Friday evening rolled around, Courtney was drained but feeling confident she'd figured out enough to keep her head above water. She was still without a car, as the shop was still busy enough that she felt guilty for them taking time to work on it. When 6:45 rolled around, it was Kozik who entered the office door.

He cleared his throat and leaned against the door frame. 'Ready to go home?'

'You mean hotel?' Courtney quipped tiredly. 'Yeah, feel like I could sleep until Monday morning. Think my car'll ever get fixed, or am I gonna depend on one you guys to be my transportation until Gemma gets that anklet removed?'

'We get a couple more mechanics and things'll get better. Thanks for being patient about it.'

'Not like I have a lot of choice,' Courtney pointed out. 'Luckily I'm so tired every night, all I want to do is get to the hotel, order room service, then go to sleep.'

'When do you move into Tara's dad's place?' Kozik made sure the office door was locked behind them.

'When my stuff gets here. Tara said the movers and cleaners would be done today. I don't have more than a couple suitcases and the boxes in the trunk and backseat with me, got things being sent here from storage at home. Wanted to wait until the place was officially mine before I had things shipped.'

Koz nodded as he handed her a helmet. 'Makes sense. Gotta take my bike, Phil's grabbing a tow, and Piney has Miles doing some errand with the van.'

Courtney stood still for a moment. 'I've never been on a motorcycle before,' she admitted. 'Not entirely sure I want to break that streak.'

Koz turned and looked her in the eyes with an intense gaze. 'Are you saying you don't trust me to be a safe driver?'

'Not at all. It's just, it's a motorcycle. Do you know I once rode a bike into the side of a house? I was pretty tipsy at the time, but still… Two wheels kinda scare me.'

'It'll be okay, I promise. Just put on the helmet, keep your feet on the pegs, lean when I lean, and we'll be fine. Scout's honor.'

Courtney's lips twitched a little. 'Were you really a boy scout?'

'Yes I was. Trust me, Courtney. I won't let you get hurt.'

Courtney searched his eyes. 'Fine. But if I get hurt, I'm never going to let you forget it, you know.'

Koz fastened the helmet strap securely, and then pressed his lips against hers for a brief moment. 'Keep your feet on the pegs, and mimic my body language, okay?'

'Right,' Courtney breathed softly. She'd been totally unprepared for the kiss, short and innocent as it was. How sad their first kiss had been so short. How sweet their first kiss had been one of reassurance. She settled against Kozik's broad back, arms carefully circling him as he kicked the Dyna into life and they began to move. Her grip around him was panicky and too tight at first, but after a couple blocks she began to relax, going so far as to sit up a little straighter and look around.

Koz wasn't sure if he'd been more hurt or angry when he thought Courtney was dissing his riding abilities. Then he'd been disarmed by her casual reference to riding a bike into a house; a story he was definitely going to want more details of another time. It had felt good when she'd studied him for a second, then agreed to ride with him. He hadn't intended on kissing her, it was an impulse as he made sure the helmet was on her head properly. For a 2-second closed-mouth kiss, it had made quite an impact on him. Her lips were warm and soft and tasted like raspberries. Koz was pretty sure he felt the kiss from his hair to his toes and everywhere in between. Then she was snugged up against his back, holding on for dear life. He was pleased when she loosened the grip and seemed to relax into the ride. Going after a chick who wasn't into MC life was one thing; pursuing one who wouldn't ride with him wasn't going to ever happen. On another impulse, instead of going to the hotel, Koz headed for the diner.

'Hope you don't mind,' he said as soon as he turned off the motorcycle. 'I'm hungry, and I thought you might be too. If you don't want to eat here, it's cool if you take something back to the hotel.'

Courtney removed the helmet, a smile on her face as she tried to tame her windblown hair a bit. 'That was amazing, Koz. Much better than a stupid bicycle. Yeah, I'm hungry and would like to have dinner with you. Do they serve alcohol here?'

'Beer for sure. I think some wine and maybe a few mixed drinks. Am I on a date with a lush?' Koz teased.

Courtney couldn't help but light up a little when Koz used the word 'date' to describe the impromptu stop for dinner. 'Not a lush, but someone who could really use a couple drinks to unwind after the past 3 days. My hair must be a total mess, are you sure you want to be seen in public with me?'

Koz ran a hand over the fiery, slightly tangled waves before cupping her cheek and running a gentle thumb over her cheekbone. 'You and your hair are beautiful.'

The moment was ruined by the sound of a nearby car alarm going off. Koz's right hand reached inside his cut, resting his palm on the butt of his gun. Courtney jumped, taking a step back. She laughed a little, Koz relaxed and let go of the gun. He turned Courtney towards the diner, slinging an arm around her shoulder.

'You coming into work tomorrow? I think we're gonna have all the guys there until noon to finish up the final bit of backlog, including your car. Not to mention that Saturday mornings tend to be busy anyway.'

'Nope, you're stuck with Piney and Chucky and their horrid penmanship. Tara and I are going to be making sure her Dad's house is ready for me to move in. I want to paint some of the rooms so I'm going to be taking over some color samples so Tara can see what I have in mind. I'll probably be buying some new furniture and curtains too, so need to take measurements. I think Gemma wanted me to have the weekend off so I could take a break from the garage, and get settled in the house so I'd have a home,' Courtney grinned as she slid into a booth. 'I know she's not 100% sold on me, but she wants to make sure I'm committed to staying in Charming unless she decides to fire me.'

Kozik chuckled, 'Yeah, Gemma likes to cover her bases, that's for sure. Hey Sheila, how are you?' he greeted the waitress.

'Hi ya Kozik. I'm good thanks. Feet killing me but what's new? How's you doing?'

'I'm good. This is Courtney, she's our new office manager at Teller-Morrow. Courtney, this is Sheila, the best waitress in Charming.'

'Nice to meet you, Sheila.'

'You too, hon. What can I get you kids to drink?'

'I'll take a Bud.'

'Can I get a gin & tonic?'

'Sure thing. Back in a couple minutes to take your dinner orders.'

Koz watched Courtney while she studied the menu. She was frowning a little, flipping back and forth between a couple different pages, obviously having a tough time deciding what to choose. He always ordered a burger and fries, but her interest in the menu made him take another look for the first time in years. There were a lot more salads and sandwiches than he remembered, but the basics were still the same. For a moment he considered ordering something new, but then decided if he did Sheila would probably make a fuss over it and he wasn't in the mood for that. He wanted to have a good dinner, and a chance to talk to Courtney about something other than work. Or SAMCRO.

'One Bud bottle, one G&T. Decided on what you want?'

'Go ahead, Koz. Give me a few more seconds to decide.'

'Bacon cheeseburger. Mayo, ketchup, pickle, tomato. And an order of fries, please.'

'I'd like the coconut crusted tilapia, but can I get sweet potato fries instead of a baked potato?'

'Sure thing, Sugar.'

'Great, thank you.'

'Sweet potato fries? There's really such a thing?'

'You've never had sweet potato fries? You have to try some of mine. Amaaaazing. I make them all the time. Coat 'em in olive oil, season with a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg and a lot of black pepper. Soooooo good.'

'I think I'll take your word for that. So you like to cook?'

'Yes. I like to experiment in the kitchen. Take a recipe and make it mine, if that makes sense. Add a bit more of things I like, get rid of things I don't. Do you cook?'

'Not really. Omelets, burgers, stuff like that. I like to grill. Used to do a lot of that on Sundays in Tacoma when there wasn't anything else going on. Lorca and I'd man the grill, the old ladies would bring a bunch of sides and salads and desserts and stuff. Charming doesn't do that much. Gemma likes to do big meals at the house instead. She's a real matriarch for the Charming charter, loves to cook for everyone. I wonder how that'll work out with both Clay and Jax inside. Wouldn't be surprised if she changes to more things like lunch the other day, with you and Lyla invited instead of Prospects and guys from the other charters; make it more about the garage and family instead of the club.'

'Maybe,' Courtney shrugged. 'You should suggest cooking out to her sometime. What else do you like to do besides ride a motorcycle and work on cars?'

'I like to box. I get in the ring, or working on a bag, and I lose myself in the zone, you know? Do some jogging and lifting weights, but it's boxing that gets me.'

'I'm that way with running. I hit my stride and suddenly I'm lost to the world. There's nothing there but my body working just right.'

'I saw you the other day. Running on the bike path couple hours after you left the garage. I saw that look on your face; knew that's what you were feeling.'

'I didn't notice I went past T-M. Why didn't you say anything before?'

Kozik shrugged. 'Hasn't come up until now. How far do you usually run?'

'5 miles for now. When I get settled and back into a routine, I'll increase to 10 miles, 4 or 5 times a week. I like to do 5 k's, half-marathons every once in awhile.'

'Yeah?' he asked enthusiastically. 'You ever run a full marathon?'

'No, don't think I'll ever be that ambitious. That's a lot of training. 13 miles at race pace is barely manageable for me, so I'm not that anxious to double it.'

'I can see that, I guess. I do a little jogging, but it's definitely jogging not running. And no more than 3 miles, that's for sure.'

'Maybe we could work out together sometime? I could give you some running tips; you could teach me a little boxing?'

'Yeah, I like the sound of that. Here comes Sheila. Hey Sheila, you like sweet potato fries? I ain't never tried 'em but Courtney swears they're good.'

'They're okay I suppose. Like home fries better myself. Is there anything else you need right now?'

'Another drink, please,' Courtney asked.

'I'll take an iced tea,' Kozik ordered to the surprise of both women. 'What? I've got a bitch-riding virgin on my hands, not gonna take any chances on spilling her. Gemma'd kill me if she had to train someone new 'cause I killed this one.'

Sheila laughed as she went to get their drinks while Courtney blushed a little at being called both a bitch and a virgin. ''Bitch-riding virgin'?'

'Now, don't take offense. Riding behind someone is called riding bitch, no matter if it's a guy or a girl. And well, I guess I popped your cherry on the ride here, but since it was only a few blocks, that hardly you being a pro. So, you still gonna let me try your fries, or did I embarrass you too much?'

Courtney tossed a few of the orange fries on Kozik's plate. 'Knock yourself out. Happy to pop your sweet potato fry cherry.'

Kozik choked on the fry a little as he struggled to swallow it around his laughter. 'Touche. Guess it's a night of firsts all-around. You're right, these aren't half-bad.'

And with that, their conversation dwindled down a little bit as both focused on their meals. French fries and sweet potato fries were traded back and forth across the table. Courtney also talked Koz into trying her fish, which he declared edible but no match to his burger. Which of course led to Courtney taking a bite of the burger to taste. Ketchup squirted out, covering her index finger. Before she could wipe it with the napkin, Koz had taken her hand, put it to his mouth, and gently sucked off the offending condiment.

Koz's mouth was warm and wet and when he sucked on her finger, Courtney felt it to her toes. There were flutterings in her belly, and she was instantly turned on. She looked at Koz's face and noticed his pupils were so dilated his blue eyes were almost all black. And she knew he was seeing the same thing in her eyes. This chemistry between them, it was strong and burning hot. Stronger than anything she'd ever felt before. Koz kept hold of her hand after releasing her finger from his mouth, and they finished their meal with fingers entwined, hands resting on the table top.

Unser was surprised to walk into the diner and see Kozik holding hands with a pretty redhead. He didn't think the guy had an old lady, and this was definitely no SAMCRO floozy from the clubhouse. The two hadn't seen each other since Koz had punched Unser in the jaw. Unser rubbed the faded bruise, knowing that even with the younger man pulling his punch, it had hurt like hell. On impulse, he headed towards the booth.

'Chief Unser, how you doing?' Koz asked the moment he noticed the uniform.

'Fine, thanks. How you doing, Kozik? Haven't had a chance to check in with Tara, she doing okay? Talked to Margaret when they x-rayed my jaw, she's still a little jumpy but seems to be recovering well.'

'Tara's doing good. Probably too busy with the hospital, Abel, and helping at T-M but I'm keeping an eye out for her. How's the jaw; wasn't broke was it?'

'No, just bruised. Hit hard enough to knock me out for a few minutes, that's all.'

'Good thing. Would've hated to see you go down with Jimmy O and Stahl like that. Hey, this is Courtney James, she's taking over for Gemma running the garage office until Gemma's allowed to leave the house. Court, this is Charming's Chief of Police, Wayne Unser.'

'Pleased to meet you, Chief Unser,' Courtney offered her hand to shake with the older man.

'Pleasure is mine. Are you from Tacoma?'

'Coeur D'Alene, actually. I was kind of passing through Charming when my car broke down. Ended up at T-M, mentioned to Tara that I was kind of drifting and looking for a new place to settle and a new job and she mentioned T-M needing an office manager and here I am, Charming's newest resident. That reminds me, I need to fill out change of address with DMV and get registered to vote in California again and all that stuff.'

'Welcome to town, then. Hope you enjoy living here. I'll leave you to finish your dinner. Just wanted to come over and say 'Hi'.'

'You should stop by and visit Gemma soon. I think she's pretty lonely and I know she'd like to see you, make sure for herself you weren't hurt too badly by the True IRA. You know she worries, and she misses Clay and Jax an awful lot.'

'Yeah, I'll do that. Thanks, Kozik. Good night.'

Courtney became silent and thoughtful once the Chief had left. Kozik started to speak, then thought better of it and let her have the chance to think about whatever was now on her mind. She was absently running her thumb over the top of his hand as she finished off the last of her fries. He ate the last bite of his burger, enjoying that he felt comfortable with the silence as much as he had with the earlier chatter. Courtney was deep in thought, but he could tell it wasn't anything bad. Or too bad anyway. He had a feeling that maybe she was trying to figure out how the big bad outlaw MC could be close enough to the chief of police that they would be trading inquires about health and welfare. And that led Kozik into his own thoughtful contemplation of recent events. The quiet was broken a few minutes later by Sheila.

'All done here? Want drink refills or dessert?'

'Not for me, thank you.'

'Just the check Sheila'

'Here you go, Sugar. Have a nice night.'

'Thanks Sheila.'

Koz left a very generous tip, Courtney noticed. He was a nice guy; he had seemed genuinely concerned about the police chief's injured jaw. And throwing out that he should visit Gemma; which seemed like something that would benefit both people. Gemma had certainly seemed lonely the other day. And Courtney didn't think the older man was in good health. Aside from the obvious bruise covering half his face, he had that look and way of carrying himself that she recognized as someone battling a deadly disease. And losing that battle. It didn't seem to make a lot of sense that the local police and outlaw motorcycle club would be on good terms, but the conversation she'd just witnessed proved otherwise. The more she heard, the more people she met, the more confused Courtney was about everything. She was so wrapped in thought, she didn't even realize they had reached Kozik's bike and stopped walking, until the biker put a finger under her chin and tilted her head so he could see into her eyes.

'What's going on in there?' he asked softly.

'Too much. Not enough. I don't know,' Courtney laughed and groaned at the same time. 'I think my mind has been turned to mush due to overstimulation of new information over the past 4 days. I keep thinking these heavy thoughts, but then before I can reach a conclusion, my brain switches to some other topic. I guess I'm suddenly a little scared of how incredibly much my life has changed in less than a week.'

Kozik wrapped her into his arms for a comforting hug, resting his chin on the top of her head and realizing how perfectly she fit against his body. 'It'll be okay. You need to take more time to get used to working the garage; we'll work things out so you can have shorter shifts. By Monday we'll have everything caught up in the shop, and Piney'll be able to do more in the office. Old man don't like it much, but he'll do it. He's been around since the beginning, he can handle it. You get overwhelmed with painting the house; I'll send Miles over to help. Prospect's worth shit at the garage anyway, maybe he'll do better with a paint brush than he does a socket wrench. He can move furniture and shit around for you too. Work on the yard. Whatever you need.'

'But I'm not part of the club. I'm garage only, remember?' came the muffled response.

'Don't matter. Miles and Phil work for T-M; if helping the office manager work on her house helps make the garage run smoothly, then that's going to be part of their job description. Garage business, not club business.'

'If you say so.'

'I do. You might not be able to see it 'cause it's _all_ new to you. But I've been in this life over 20 years. Look at it this way. You got a job at a small, family-owned business. You need help settling into your new life, your new home. The owners, they want you to be happy so you can do a good job for them, right? They got another employee, he's a good guy but not so hot at his job, even though he's learning and tries hard every day. This guy, he gets sent to help you do handiwork at the house. He's still doing work for the business, just in a different way. Maybe he's good at this stuff and it gives him more confidence when he gets back to his real work. If not, nothing's lost, right?'

'Okay, I can see it that way. But can you explain to me how it would be club business not garage business. Because even though I get what you just said and it makes perfect, logical sense and I accept it, I know it can be the other way too. Not trying to be a pain in the ass, swear to God. Just trying to figure things out.'

Koz took a moment before answering. 'Well, I guess if I ordered Miles to paint your house because he's a prospect and I want him to do it because I want in your pants, not because I give a shit if you're focusing on work at T-M. Or maybe the club wants you to do something to help them not related to running the garage, so Opie has the prospects spend the day mowing the grass and trimming trees and shit so you owe SAMCRO a favor. It ain't that easy to explain the differences I guess. But it's there.'

Courtney sighed. 'So what happens after I let you into my pants?'

'What?'

'This thing between us,' Courtney pulled back enough to look into Koz's eyes again. 'It's either gonna die tonight and we'll just be coworkers, or we're gonna be dating, screwing, in a relationship… something. This chemistry, it's something fierce. I've never felt anything so strong with someone I haven't even properly kissed yet. I mean, I've been in a 2-year relationship less intense than the past 2 hours with you. But how does that work, you being involved with an outsider? _Can_ it work?'

Kozik shrugged. 'I don't know. Only Old Lady I had grew up in the club life. Daddy was a patch, Momma was a croweater turned Old Lady. She left me five years ago, said she wanted to try life outside the MC. She's married to some blue collar factory worker in Michigan now. Most guys end up with Old Lady's who were either their high school sweethearts like Tara and Jax, and Opie and his late wife Donna, or they're with a croweater or sweetbutt so much it just turns 'em into an Old Lady eventually. Tara left the life for 10 years and I know it's been difficult for her to figure out how she fits back in. But I can't give you a definitive answer, Courtney. And if that's what you need, I guess we're just gonna be coworkers. If you want to take a chance, I'll do my best to figure things out with you. That's all I can offer you.'

'Yeah, okay. One step at a time?'

'Yeah, something like that. So, you're gonna let me into your pants?' he asked, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Courtney's laugh wasn't as hearty as he'd hoped, but it was a laugh. 'Let's just say chances are excellent, but it ain't happening tonight, Sparky.'

'Don't tell me, let me guess. One step at a time? You're gonna be forcing me to make out with you in the back of your Dad's Chevy before you even let me touch your boob, right? Dry humping at the drive-in? Lots of flowers and chocolate and doing chick stuff? Going shopping with you so I can carry the bags and tell you how hot you look in the clothes you try on?' Koz threw out teasing suggestions as he strapped the helmet back on Courtney's head, again pressing a quick kiss to her lips.

'Something like that,' Courtney agreed, swinging onto the back of the bike. 'Daddy was always a Ford man, though. Don't think he ever owned a Chevy. Did give my first blow job at a drive-in, now that you bring it up.'

'Oh, it's been brought up, darling. You're killing me,' Koz called over the roar of the motorcycle as he pulled out of the diner parking lot, onto the street.

The ride to Courtney's hotel was short. Koz had debated taking an indirect route, just to keep her clinging to his back a little longer, but in the end decided it was time to end their evening and head for the clubhouse and whatever party was happening there. He wasn't going to be taking company with another woman, but he was in the mood for several more drinks and a couple games of pool. Maybe a few rounds in the ring if he was lucky enough to find a willing sparring partner. Losing Half-Sack to death, and Tig, Jax, and Happy to Stockton meant the loss of the guys who could keep up with him in the ring. The Prospect had been small but tough as nails and he really missed the little fucker. Tig wasn't much of a fighter, their bouts were fun because of the hate behind them, not the skill. Jax and Happy were both good in the ring, he liked fighting both of them. And he definitely wanted to let off some steam tonight. Koz killed the engine to his bike, settling the kickstand and getting off after Courtney.

'Just walking you to your door, not even gonna ask for an invitation inside. One step at a time' Koz assured as he watched Courtney unlock the door, but not open it.

Without a word, she turned back around and threw her arms around his neck. Standing on her toes, she glued her mouth to his, pressing her body into him. Koz let her set the tone of the kiss, not opening his mouth until she licked his lips with her tongue, then tugged at his lower lip with her teeth. Her fingers buried themselves in his spiky hair, she tilted her head a little to change the angle of the kiss, sweeping her tongue over the roof of his mouth. Koz let the kiss continue until they were both breathing heavily, and his erection was pressing hard against her. He pushed her against the door, trapping her between the wood and his body, snaking one hand under her shirt to feel the fullness of her breast resting in his palm before running a thumb over her nipple. He heard her moan, felt her press her lower body closer to his, as he took over the kiss. It was hot and heavy and intense and it took every ounce of his control to end it and put some space between them. Koz kissed the tip of her nose, giving her breast a gentle squeeze before slipping his hand back out from under her shirt. He rested his forehead against Courtney's for a minute, as they both struggled to get their breathing and heartbeats under control again.

She flashed him a brilliant smile. 'Think that took care of making out, first boob touch, and that was a good start on dry humping. See you tomorrow?'

'Maybe. If there's nothing pressing that needs taking care of for the club, I'll head over and see how things are going at Tara's dads. Your place. You know what I mean.'

'Right. Thanks for dinner, I had a fantastic time. Have a good night, Sparky.'

'Night, Blaze.'

As she shut and locked the door behind her, Courtney wondered if she'd get any sleep that night. It shouldn't be possible to sleep when she was this horny. And her mind was racing as much as her hormones. But after taking a quick shower and crawling into bed with her laptop, expecting to be surfing the 'net for hours, she felt sleep overtaking her almost immediately. Remembering the final kiss outside her hotel room, Courtney fell asleep with a smile on her face.


	5. Chapter 5

Koz walked into to the smoky clubhouse. It was loud and crowded. Apparently some guys from Rogue River had shown up while he was out with Courtney. The house was almost as full as it would have been before most of SAMCRO had been sent away. Croweaters and sweetbutts were crawling out of the woodwork, whereas up 'til now, there'd only been a handful hanging around the club. A buxom blonde with an inch of black roots showing draped herself over Koz's arm as he leaned against the bar, waiting for Miles to hand him a beer and pour him a shot of whiskey. Koz shook her off without even a look. 'Not in the mood; pass it along to your friends' he warned her.

Koz downed the shot and turned to look out over the clubhouse. Chibs was dancing with some topless brunette he didn't recognize. Jury was talking with the guys from Rogue River; Koz couldn't remember their names, but he knew their faces. He found Opie and Lyla sitting together on one of the couches, and decided to join them. Lyla gave him a friendly smile, while Opie nodded his head.

'Finally made it, brother. Any problems?'

'Naw. Took Courtney to dinner before dropping her off at the hotel for the night. Guess she ain't gonna be coming into the garage tomorrow. Her and Tara are gonna be working over at Tara's Dad's place, getting it ready for Courtney to move in.'

'Yeah, Gemma told me she wanted Courtney to take the weekend and start settling in. Pops and Chucky can handle the office. Babe, maybe you should go over and see if you can help with anything.'

'Yeah, Courtney started talking about paint samples and curtains and shit, so she might like getting someone else's feedback on stuff.'

'All right. Maybe it'll be fun. Courtney seemed nice at Gemma's the other day, and when I took her home.'

'Figure we can send Miles over to do any heavy lifting and painting and shit like that. He sucks as a mechanic and all this overwork ain't making it better. Maybe if we give him handyman work for awhile he can be useful that way until someone can coach him on some of this other shit.'

'Not a bad idea, brother. Got some work he can do around my place, that shed is dangerous. Maybe see if Tara needs anything, Gemma too. Think he can handle it?'

'He's the one that designed and built most of that playground for Abel,' Koz shrugged, finishing his beer and signaling a sweetbutt to bring him another. 'Pretty sure if he can do that he can paint a few walls, mow a few lawns, maybe pound some nails to hang new curtains. And he sure as shit can move furniture around,' he accepted the beer and gave the sweetbutt a look to let her know all he wanted was the drink.

'A'ight. How's Courtney doing with things? We've talked a little but you must have talked over dinner. She looked a little stressed this afternoon, she gonna flake on us?'

'Naw, she's in it for the long haul. Had a little freak out over how much her life changed in a few days, but think she's good now. She's struggling a bit with the line between T-M and SAMCRO, you know what I mean?'

Opie gave him a hard look. 'Is it going to be a problem?'

'Don't think so. It'd be easier if I didn't want her, 'cause that's gonna blur things even more eventually. But I do and I'm not giving her up. She ain't having nothing to do with the club until we figure out what we're doing. And yeah, Gemma knows.'

'Okay then. Hope it works out.'

'Me too. Saw Unser at the diner. He's still in uniform. Thought Sanwa County was taking over policing Charming. Do we know anything?'

'Not much. True IRA killing Stahl and Jimmy O gave Oswald a foot back in the race for Mayor, got some citizens back on the SAMCRO train. Guess it was enough to give Charming police another chance at taking care of business, at least for a month or so. We need to find a new Juice. None of these guys we've got are shit at gathering intel.'

'Wonder if Miles has any hacker skills we don't know about,' Koz laughed.

Lyla chuckled, and Opie grinned. 'I'll kill the little fucker if he does and hasn't said anything. Juice can be a fucking moron, but that kid knows his way around the internet, I'll give him that.'

'Right? Okay, gonna let you two lovebirds get back to doing whatever it was you were doing before I came over to interrupt. Night'

'See you in the morning, brother.'

'Night Kozik.'

Lyla studied Opie studying Kozik as the blond walked across the room and head for the dorms, shrugging off a couple croweaters on the way. 'What's wrong, Ope?'

'Nothing yet. Don't know much about this Courtney. A little worried about Koz falling for someone outside the club life. This isn't a good time for him to be distracted.'

Lyla shook her head. 'You can't pick the times the right person comes into your life. I spent that lunch with them at Gemma's too; ain't no way two unattached adults working together every day are gonna be able to fight that kinda attraction for long, Baby. Gemma obviously gave Koz her blessing to go for it in the kitchen, 'cause the moment he came back into the dining room, the temperature went up a good 20 degrees just from their eye fucking alone. Sucks she doesn't know anything about MCs, but it'll be okay. Tara and I'll keep an eye out for her. Maybe they'll screw a few times, get it out of their systems, and that'll be the end of it. No sense worrying about stuff that hasn't happened yet.'

'Eye fucking,' Opie snorted. 'Where do you come up with some of this shit?' he teased. 'And yeah, I'd like it if you were friends with Courtney. But only because you like being friends with her. If you don't have fun tomorrow, or if she gives you a hard time for being in porn, you don't have to hang with her, got it?'

'Yes sir,' Lyla giggled. 'How 'bout we go home and do some real fucking?'

'Now that's something I get,' Opie laughed, 'let's go.'

Chibs led his dancing partner back to his room twenty minutes later. Piney had left the clubhouse before the party even really began. Even though it continued almost all night, the only SAMCRO members still involved by midnight were the two prospects, who were kept busy filling drinks and cleaning up after the Sons from other charters. It was probably the first time in Sons of Anarchy history that there wasn't at least one patched member holding down the fort until the party ended, but unless some of these guys from other charters decided to patch over at least for the next 14 months, it probably wouldn't be the last time.

Tara dropped off Abel at Gemma's at 8:30 the next morning. The two women ate breakfast together. Gemma was a little disappointed Tara hadn't been to T-M the day before; she was dying to know how things were working out with Courtney running the garage. It was little things that were killing her with this house arrest. Not being able to run to the store if she wanted something. Not being able to go to the garage or the clubhouse and check on things herself, in person. She couldn't even take her grandson to the damn park. But as Gemma snuggled the little boy close to her and breathed in the scent of his hair, she gave thanks that for all the annoyances, she was at home and able to interact with the members of her family who were still in Charming.

'What time did you and Courtney plan to meet up?'

'We didn't set a time. Gave her a key and we agreed to just show up whenever was convenient. I want to get there early so I can make sure the cleaners did a good job. Lyla sent me a text last night, Koz suggested she join us, so she's going to come over around 10:30 and see what's going on. Guess Koz and Opie decided to task Miles with doing any work Courtney wants done, moving furniture, painting, mowing the lawn and shit like that.'

'Just maybe SAMCRO will be fine the next 14 months if those two are coming up with ideas like that,' Gemma sniffed. 'Desperate times if the clubs' taking on a prospect that sucks so bad working on cars. Not bad, sending him around to do other shit. He can get his ass over here and mow.'

'That's the spirit. I'm gonna head out now,' Tara kissed Abel and laid a hand on Gemma's shoulder. 'You be good for Grandma, Abel.'

'Don't forget to find out what Courtney's thinking about the office,' Gemma yelled as the door was swinging closed behind Tara.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N**: Thank you for continuing to read the story; I really appreciate everyone who is taking the time to read, review, alert, and fave it

Courtney was walking up the driveway as Tara swung the Cutlass around the corner. Courtney grinned, hopping over to the grass and allowing Tara to park. She'd woken refreshed and in a fantastic mood. After a good breakfast Courtney started walking the 2 miles between the hotel and her new home. Passing the diner which was just 6 blocks from the house, she made a quick detour and bought an assortment of donuts and bagels, as well as a couple cappuccinos. Miles could help himself to the baked goods, but if the kid wanted coffee, he would have to fend for himself she decided. 'Morning,' she called cheerfully to Tara as the brunette stepped out of her car.

'Morning Courtney. Sorry, didn't think about making sure you had a ride here. Are those guys ever gonna fix your car?' she asked, gratefully accepting the hot coffee Courtney handed to her.

'Koz promised he'd get it done today. It's a beautiful day for a little walk. Charming's a small town. I'll probably be walking more than driving most of the time as long as the weather's nice.'

Courtney unlocked the door, and the two women stepped inside. It was empty and smelled of cleansers. Courtney wrinkled her nose a little, immediately opening a window. Then she walked into the kitchen to set down the bag of pastries, going to open another window. Tara trailed along behind, a blank expression on her face.

'Don't like the smell of Pine-sol,' Courtney offered. 'Makes me think of being sick and my Mom using it to keep germs from spreading. Must be weird for you to be here with it all empty and everything of your family gone.'

'A little bit,' Tara agreed with a small laugh. 'More than I expected it would, to be honest. My Dad and I didn't keep in touch much after I moved away. We were never that close after my Mom died, and I only came back to visit a couple times. Looks like the cleaners did a good job; everything's spotless.'

'Yeah,' Courtney randomly opened a few cupboards. 'Thanks again for letting me stay here, I really appreciate it.'

'And I really appreciate you giving me a reason to get it cleared out and everything. So, you have some paint samples you want to show me? I'm sure they'll be fine, you can pretty much do whatever you want with paint or wallpaper and stuff like that. Oh, and you know Miles will be helping you with painting or whatever you need?'

'Yeah, Koz told me he was going to see about having that arranged last night when we were talking after dinner. Something about Miles being an incompetent mechanic, maybe he'd be more useful as a handyman.'

'You and Koz had dinner together last night? Details,' Tara demanded, taking a swig of her coffee.

Courtney laughed, grabbing a cream-filled éclair from the bag and jumping up to sit on the kitchen counter. 'He was taking me home from work, decided to stop off at the diner on the way. We had a nice time. Got to know each other a little. Decided we were going to see if we could make a go at something. Hottest make-out session of my life. Am I crazy for wanting to date him, Tara?'

Tara swallowed a bite of her own raspberry jelly donut, covered with chocolate icing and lots of sprinkles. 'No. You like each other, why not?'

'It's all so complicated. Last night when we decided to take it one step at a time, it seemed so logical. In the cold light of day, thinking about what I don't know about SAMCRO and that part of his life and seeing him at work everyday if it goes to hell, it seems so not that easy. My brain, it's so complicated sometimes too.'

'Club complicates things. Working together complicates things. I don't know either of you well enough, but I'm sure you've both got enough shit in your relationship pasts to complicate things. If I've learned anything in my life, it's that relationships are fucking complicated. But it's better to keep plowing ahead when you meet someone you connect with. If you let the complications stop you from that, well then you just might find yourself 80 years old and all alone because you were too scared of 'complicated'.'

'Tough talk from the Doc. You're right. I feel like I've had this same conversation a dozen times. Maybe it'll sink in eventually. Gemma have Abel?'

'Of course. Reminds me, she wants to know how things went at the office for you yesterday? Everything going okay?'

'Fine. A little overwhelming sometimes but Chucky and Piney are a big help. Koz said he expects them to be caught up on the backlog of repairs by this afternoon, so I have no doubt I'll be able to figure out a system that works best for me once I have a little breathing room. Think Gemma'll kill me and have Miles hide the body if when she gets released from house arrest she comes back to T-M and I've completely reorganized the entire office structure?'

Tara laughed. 'I think it's a distinct possibility. Either that or she'll just never let you leave the job. Lyla should be here soon. Let's get out those paint samples.'

'That's cool; I didn't know Lyla was coming over. I liked talking to her the other day.'

'Hope you don't mind. Her life has kinda changed a lot lately too, and Opie thought maybe it would be nice for her to come over and hang with us and talk about decorating tips and stuff.'

'Why not,' Courtney agreed. 'The doctor, the office manager, and the…. What does Lyla do? I guess it didn't come up the other day.'

Tara took another huge bite of her donut and mumbled 'She's a porn star' through it.

'Porn star? Really?'

'Yeah. I know. But she is really nice and sweet and she's so good for Opie. Everyone thought after Donna died he was going to do something stupid and get himself killed, but then Lyla came along and they clicked and Opie started coming back to himself.'

Courtney laughed a little. 'Every time I think I've got a handle on what I've got myself into here, I get a new curveball in my face. Okay, then. So, I'm thinking Cranberry for the kitchen. I know, red is an unusual color to paint a kitchen but with lots of white ceramic and blue glass, it'll look great.'

Tara blinked a little then realized Courtney was changing the subject because she didn't want to think about 'complicated' any longer. 'Hey, you're gonna be the one living here. If it looks like shit, Miles can repaint it when you move out.'

'That's the spirit,' Courtney grinned as the two moved into the living room, and through the open front door, she saw Lyla walking up the sidewalk. 'Come on in, Lyla. Thanks for coming over. What do you think for the living room? Do I go with something safe like 'Cream Cloud' or 'Mushroom', or do I go bold with more color?'

'Go bold', was the response as Lyla joined them.

Tara laughed. 'Before you encourage her, you should know she's painting the kitchen red.'

'Awesome. You should do a dark blue or dark green in here, Courtney. There's a lot of windows, so if you go with light drapes and carpet, it shouldn't be overwhelming, especially if you use a jewel tone.'

'Yeah, that might work. What do you think about ripping out the carpet and going with light oak hardwood floors? That Pergo stuff is pretty much indestructible and a lot easier to care for than carpeting.'

Tara shrugged. 'Sure, why not? I'm sure I can write it off for my taxes anyway, and it'll increase the value if I end up selling somewhere down the line.'

'Right? Okay then, I'm thinking cobalt blue for the living room then. It'll be a nice carry over from the blue I'll use to accent in the kitchen. Master bedroom is going to be shades of green and lilac. Use the smaller bedroom for a study/guest room. It's pretty small, maybe this lemon yellow? Lighter, brighter color to open things up a bit?'

'Yeah, that'd be pretty,' Lyla agreed, studying the color palette Courtney pointed too. 'Maybe get pretty white curtains with pink flowers around this shade. Nothing frou-frou but add a little soft touch to the room. Maybe even do the trim that pink, since you seem to like color, Courtney.'

'I like that idea. Thanks, Lyla. You've got a good eye for color.'

'Thanks. What about the bathroom?'

The three women stood in the doorway, looking at the small, beige room. It was pretty sparse, big enough for a tub, sink, toilet, and small closet. The vanity mirror was a simple, narrow three-mirror affair, hiding a couple shelves behind it. A plain blue shower curtain hung from the rod, the one small window was set high and covered with blue blinds.

'I have no idea,' Courtney laughed. 'Suggestions?'

'Can't really do much, it's so small.'

'Always hated this bathroom,' Tara admitted. 'Could never come up with anything that made it look decent when I was a teen.'

'Guess the bathroom'll be put on the backburner for now,' Courtney decided. 'Miles can get the rest of the paint when he shows up. We'll need painters tape, tarps, brushes, edgers, rollers… think of anything else ladies?'

'Are you going to paint the ceilings too?' Lyla asked.

Tara and Courtney both looked up. 'Never even thought of it. Yeah, I suppose we might as well do that, since everything else'll be fresh paint. More tarps and those extension thingies that make painting the ceiling easier. Just gonna go with some basic ceiling white color for every room, keep it simple.'

'Sounds good. Oh, bet that'll be Miles,' Tara observed hearing a single motorcycle engine approach.

The dark-haired prospect entered the house nervously. He wasn't sure what exactly it meant for him to be assigned to help the new T-M office lady paint and fix up a house. She wasn't anyone's old lady, and he worried that he was in trouble for not being adept at working in the garage. He had thought it would be easy to pick up, but the more he worked on stuff, the more complicated he found things to be. He would hate it if he ended up not getting patched into SAMCRO because the guys didn't trust him in the garage. To his surprise, Miles found Jax and Opie's old ladies already in the house, laughing with Courtney.

'Hey Miles,' the pretty redhead greeted him warmly as the two other women smiled. 'Thanks so much for helping me out here. There are donuts and bagels in the kitchen if you're hungry. Working on a list of stuff we need to get started on painting. Why don't you grab something to eat and check out the shed and garage? Koz said you might be able to help me with yard work too, so can you make sure there's actually a lawnmower or whatever out there somewhere?'

'Yeah, sure. Thanks.'

'Miles, did Opie say if he was coming over here?'

'Don't know for sure, Lyla. They were headed into Church when I left. Phil, Lowell, and some of the other regular mechanics were finishing up on the last repairs but Koz and Opie told me to come here instead.'

'Right. Thanks.'

'Church?' Courtney asked a confused look on her face that made Tara and Lyla laugh.

'The club has a regular Saturday meeting they call 'Church',' Tara explained. 'There's a room in the clubhouse they call the chapel. It's where they conduct all their club business, have their votes and everything. Attendance is mandatory unless they're on a run for the club. Nomads have to make sure they find themselves in a charter town on Saturday so they can attend church. Church can be called any time the club needs to discuss something, but the Saturday meeting is every week.'

'Okey-dokey then,' Courtney glanced out the window. 'Sweet, that's the cable company. They told me they weren't sure they could get here today. Don't have a TV yet, but I wanted it hooked up for my Wi-Fi connection.'

Miles came back to report he found a lawnmower, weed eater, and hedge clippers that all looked to be in good shape. He'd pick up gas while he was out getting the paint supplies. He suggested getting a couple sprayers that would make it easier to paint the ceilings and larger wall spaces. He also assured Courtney and Tara that ripping out the carpet and laying down Pergo would be easy. A little time-consuming but nothing he couldn't easily handle. He recommended painting first, that way if there were any spills, they wouldn't ruin the new flooring.

'You're running this show, my friend,' Courtney clapped him on the shoulder. 'Tara, you think all this crap Miles has to buy will fit in your car?'

'I drove Ope's truck here,' Lyla piped up. 'We figured it might come in handy at some point today.'

'Excellent; thanks for that Lyla. Have at it Miles.'

At that moment, Lyla's cell phone rang. 'Hey Ope, you guys out of Church already? Yeah, things are going great. Miles is on his way to pick up all the paint and shit we need, I gave him the keys to your truck. Cable guy just left. 'Course Courtney ain't got a TV here, but she's happy to have Wi-Fi for the computer for now. Yeah, yeah. Sure. Okay. Talk to you soon,' she said, turning to face the others.

'Guys have some business to take care of, but they'll be here in maybe an hour. Opie is having Phil bring over your car, Courtney.'

'Finally. I should have kept my hotel reservation a couple more nights. I just realized I don't have a bed here and didn't think to go to a furniture store to buy one. That's one thing I didn't plan on moving with me,' she laughed. 'Not to mention I might as well wait until all the painting and flooring are finished. Hope they still have a room open. I know Andy was telling me this morning they've got a lot of spillover from some big convention in Lodi? I think it was. I better call.'

'You can stay with me for a night or two,' Tara offered. 'That is if you don't mind being around Abel, I don't know how much you like babies.'

'Really? That would be great, and I'd love to get to hang out with Abel. Andy, the manager over there, let me stash my bags in a cleaning supply closet; I should probably go pick them up pretty soon. Wonder how long it'll be before Phil gets me my car?'

'Why don't I run you over there,' Lyla asked. 'Not sure if Piney, Chibs, or any of the guys from the other charters are coming over, but I know Ope, Koz, and Phil will be here. We can pick up some stuff for lunch on the way back.'

'Perfect. I really want to thank both of you for being so nice and helpful to me with everything since I came to Charming. I know I'm probably gonna say and do stupid things sometimes 'cause I have no clue about all this club stuff, so please tell me if I'm being a dumbass or offensive or a bad attitude or anything, okay?'

'We got your back, Sweetie,' Tara assured. 'Make sure you get a couple cases of beer no matter what you decide on for food. That'll make the guys happy.'

Lyla followed Courtney into the hotel, even though Courtney assured her there wasn't that much to carry, only a backpack, rolling suitcase, and a carry case. Lyla insisted sweetly she wanted to help. But she was a little curious to see Courtney interact with this Andy, manager guy. Lyla thought it was a little unusual a hotel manager would let a guest keep their luggage stowed away after checking out so she wanted to see what was going on. Dating a Son while also having something going on with another guy in town would definitely count as a dumbass move as far as Lyla was concerned. And she figured there was a fairly good chance Kozik would kill the guy and maybe Courtney too if there was something going on between them while she was also making a play for the biker. 2 seconds of observation told Lyla all she needed to know. Courtney was friendly to the guy; he was friendly to both of them, and that was it. No sexual tension whatsoever. Maybe a little flirting, but Lyla was realizing that light flirtation was Courtney's default setting, something she did without even knowing it happened. It was just a part of the other woman's good-natured, happy, friendly spirit.

'How do you do it,' Lyla asked after the stop in the grocery store for fried chicken, sides, potato chips, soda, and beer, as they made their way back to Courtney's new rental home. 'How do you make everyone like you so quickly? The guy at the hotel. The girl behind the deli counter. The beer guy. Tara offering telling you about the job immediately? Gemma offering it to you? Koz. Piney. Chibs. Miles. The cable guy. Hell, even I really like you. What's your secret?'

Courtney was struck silent for a moment. 'I never thought about it, to be honest. I guess maybe it's because I like meeting new people. I always try to be friendly and polite, but I'm a bit of a smartass too. I flirt without knowing I flirt, I've been told that. I think it's because I just like people, does that make sense? I mean, I'm going to believe that the other guy is going to be nice and like me until I have proof otherwise?'

Lyla took her turn to be silent. 'I admire it about you,' she finally said. 'You're one of the nicest people I've ever met. I went into the hotel with you 'cause I couldn't believe the guy let you keep your shit there unless you were giving him something special, you know? And I had to make sure it wasn't that because I promised to have your back. And shit like that, it'd be offensive to Koz. To the club. But it's just you, being you I guess.'

'I really like Kozik, Lyla. A lot. For someone I've only known a few days, probably I like him way too fucking much. Right now, there isn't anybody I'm gonna be giving anything to except him, unless we decide we don't work. I promise you that.'

'Okay. I believe you. Just, I wanted to be sure. Ope's got a lot on his shoulders right now, and I want to help him any way I can. Help you too. It's all good, though. Sorry I doubted you about Andy the manager guy.'

'No problem. I meant it when I said I hoped you and Tara would help me out here. I'll try to tone down the whole flirty vibe, but can't promise I can do it.'

'You know what? I have a feeling Koz will get its part of you.'

'Thanks Lyla. Hey, looks like some of the guys showed up while we were gone.'

Koz wasn't there yet. Lyla could tell by looking at the bikes as she pulled her little car into the driveway behind Tara's Cutlass. Miles had returned, she could see Opie's truck parked in the grass in back of the house. She figured the guys decided storing all the wood flooring materials in the shed would be the best way to deal with that stuff until the painting was finished and Miles could start on the flooring. She and Courtney started carrying in the bags of food. Lyla saw the way Courtney's face fell a little when she didn't see Koz among the throng in the living room, but liked that the other woman immediately set down her burden and headed back to retrieve a case of beer and a case of soda. This chick might know shit about MC life, but she sure as hell knew how to roll with life's flow.

20 minutes later, there were bodies scattered all over the living room floor, balancing Styrofoam plates of food. Cans of beer or Coke sat beside most of them, with a couple bottled waters sitting here and there. You'd think with everyone in the group devouring food it would be quiet, but conversation was lively between bites of food. There was a lot of laughter. Miles was being teased about his ineptitude with car repair. The pregnant Tara was being teased about the fact that she was eating coleslaw on top of her brownie. Courtney was being teased about wanting to paint her kitchen walls red. It was a pretty jovial group when Kozik finally walked in, carrying a punching bag and light chains to secure it to the ceiling.

'Save me anything to eat?' he bellowed as he walked into the house.

'A punching bag? That's awesome, Koz!' Courtney exclaimed as she jumped to her feet and walked over to give him a kiss on the check.

He put his arm around her waist and pulled her in for a slightly more serious kiss. Nothing too extreme, he wasn't wanting to provide a show for his brothers and the ladies. But he did want to stake his claim, and a hearty smack on the lips, with a little slip of the tongue satisfied that requirement. He nuzzled her neck briefly, then growled in her ear, 'Figured I could hang this in the basement. Be easier to teach you about boxing if you have some equipment here. Got some more stuff for ya in my saddlebags, but we can set it all up later. Wanna fix me a plate while I carry this down?'


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Thanks again to everyone who has alerted/faved this story. Special, extra big thank yous to demonicseer, kas19, and IrishLass72 for leaving reviews. I'm glad you all are enjoying the story. I like Kozik (big fan of Kenny Johnson) and hope we get to learn a bit more about him in season 4. Enjoy.

Later Courtney would realize that was the moment that marked her entry into the MC life. Everyone there who witnessed that kiss, who saw her fix her man his plate of food was part of the club. Sure, maybe that wasn't the intent of the gathering. They were all honestly there because Courtney was now part of the Teller-Morrow workforce as were they all, and they were checking out the changing over of Tara owning her Dad's place to Courtney renting it from her. Making sure that all the supplies needed for Miles to paint and change out the flooring had been purchased. And they all genuinely liked the girl. Even Miles and Phil, who were still slightly nervous about anything to do with Prospecting into SAMCRO. But Kozik laying claim to her that afternoon, it was as much about the club as it was anything else. Making sure word got around all the Son's charters the T-M office girl was off-limits to anyone who showed up in Charming to lend a hand during their time of need.

Gradually people started to drift away. They all had their own things to take care of. Tara needed to get Abel from Gemma, making sure Courtney had the spare key to her house before she let, and assuring her as long as she was quiet it didn't matter what time she came in. Opie and Lyla had to rescue his Mom from their kids. Piney was going to head for his cabin until Monday morning. Chibs just left, with a hug for Courtney and a shake of the hand for Koz. Miles and Phil got to work, dividing the rooms to paint the ceilings first. Koz and Courtney headed for the basement, after first going to his bike to grab the tape, hand, and leg guards he had purchased for her.

The basement was dingy and small. It housed the washer and dryer, furnace, water heater, and not much more. There was a space, maybe 6' x 12' that was empty, and from a beam above that's where Koz strung up the punching bag. Not a lot of room and fairly cheerless, but it would give them just enough space to maneuver. Koz was pleased to see how much his spur-of-the-moment gift had meant to Courtney. He'd thought she'd like it, because he was sure she'd been sincere the previous evening about wanting to learn a bit about boxing, but he hadn't really expected the excited exclamation and the kiss on his check. It wasn't like anyone in the tiny house was unaware of what had been going on between them, but it sure had been nice to have an opportunity to make it somewhat official without having to say a word.

'All right, Blaze. You ready for a lesson or what?'

Courtney bit her lip. 'Will you be mad if I say 'no'? I mean I totally want to do this, so bad. I can almost feel myself punching that bag. But I also really want to help with some of the painting. I know you think it's good for Miles to do it, and I agree the poor kid needs a little confidence boost. But I'm going to be living here, you know? This is my home. I want to paint my own bedroom because even though Milo bought the paint colors, and I can explain what I want, I'm not totally certain I'm not going to change my mind about things as I go because I'm using at least 3 colors. Maybe 4. Make sure the kitchen looks the way I think it will before all four walls are done and it totally looks like a fire truck or a barn or something. Does that make sense to you?'

'Yeah, it does. I'm not mad; there'll be plenty of time for that another day. You have a good day? Tara and Lyla help you out?' he asked walking Courtney backwards and pinning her against the washing machine.

She shifted, spreading her legs a little wider so he could stand between her thighs. 'Yeah, a lot. Tara's letting me stay with her a couple nights until some of the painting's done. And I need to buy a new bed, totally forgot I'd need a new mattress out here. Lyla and I had a good conversation,' she said as Koz put his hands on her shoulders and began to knead the tense muscles. 'Mmmm, that feels so good. She's nice. I like her and Tara both. They're really different but I think they're both genuinely nice people.'

'So are you,' Koz mumbled, leaning down to kiss her. 'You're nice. You smell nice. You taste nice. You feel nice.'

It was one of the best kisses Courtney had ever experienced. It was long, soft, slow and sweet. There was passion behind it, but no urgency. Kozik was taking his time, exploring her mouth while she explored his. Their hands roamed across each other's bodies, but it was all slow and lazy. And once again, Koz ended it with a kiss to the tip of her nose, leaning his forehead against hers.

'You ready to see what kind of damage the Prospects have done?'

Courtney laughed. 'I trust them. There's no damage. But yeah, I'd like to see how far they've gotten.'

It was four in the afternoon, and all ceilings but the spare room had been painted when Koz and Courtney came upstairs. They decided to head for the bedroom, since Courtney wanted to paint that herself. She asked Miles to start painting the kitchen, but to call her after he finished the wall with the cupboards so she could check it out. Koz was given the dark green paint, and instructed to use it on the trim and doorframe. Courtney grabbed the pale lilac and went to work on the walls. She took off for the kitchen when Miles called for her, and Koz could hear her voice chatting with the guy as she wondered if it was going to look the way she desired. He grinned, liking how invested she was in getting the paint job exactly the way she wanted. And he knew, even though she'd be asking Miles' opinion anyway, that Courtney was going out of her way to ask him questions and involve him in the decision to give the kid a bit of a confidence boost. He liked the way she returned to the room, and picked up painting like she'd never left. And when he finished the trim before she finished the walls, he liked how she tasked him with painting the closet doors a dark lavender, and then the shelves the same dark green as the trim. He wasn't sure how he was going to like the room when it was done, a little too purple for his tastes and he hoped to be spending a lot of time in it, but he sure as hell liked the way she went about getting it done. And when they finished, Koz realized it wasn't that bad, and depending on the décor, he might actually kind of like it.

'I could have gone with pale green walls, and used light and dark purples for the accent colors,' Courtney said quietly as she worked on the last unpainted patch of the room, completely in tune with Koz's unspoken thought. 'That'd be a little more guy-friendly. But I want it like this, okay? If we work out, maybe we can change it later if you're spending a lot of time here, or whatever and want a more masculine look to the room. But-'

Koz cut her off. 'No problem. Your room, your color choices. Ain't gonna impact my masculinity no matter what color you want the walls to be. It could be no walls and I wouldn't care, all right?'

'All right. Well, that's done. Think I've had it for the day. You're gonna hang out at the clubhouse tonight?'

'Yeah,' Koz answered slowly. 'None of us were around much last night, and we've got a few more brothers from other charters came in after Church so I really need to be there. I'll make sure Miles keeps on painting though.'

'No need. As long as the kitchen is finished tonight, that's fine with me. I can finish painting the living room and spare room tomorrow so he can get started on doing the floors. I'd like this room done first, then the living room. Spare room can be last; kitchen tile is fine. I still have no idea what I want to do with the bathroom so that's just gonna have to wait for inspiration to strike. This bathroom I'll do opposite this room. Green walls, lilac trim.'

'You upset I'm spending time with my brothers instead of you?'

Courtney was honestly surprised at the question. 'Not at all. Sorry if I sounded that way. Just trying to figure out my game plan; I've been totally disorganized with moving in, and it's driving me a little nuts. I'm looking forward to hopefully a bubble bath, couple glasses of wine, maybe some girl talk with Tara, and a good night's sleep. I won't deny I like spending time with you Koz, but I think we need time apart too, don't you?'

'Yeah. Much as I'd like to see how close I can get to getting into your pants,' he grinned using the previous nights' phrase, 'there's no rush, right?'

'Right. You go hang with your boys. Have a lot of drinks. Shoot some pool. Tomorrow or the next day you can make another attempt at unbuttoning these babies.' Courtney laughed pointing to the button fly of the cutoff jeans she wore.

Koz growled deep in his throat, then tackled the laughing woman. He flipped them as they fell so that Courtney landed on top of him. One arm low at her waist, the other around her shoulders pinned her to him. Koz kissed her intensely, no longer bothering to hold back how much he wanted to be with her. He quickly shifted them again without breaking the kiss so that Courtney was on her back. She arched into him, wrapping both legs around his waist as he ground into her. His hands were soon at the waist of her pants, but then he suddenly stopped before releasing the button. They stared at one another, panting heavily.

'I'm not gonna fuck you on the carpet with the prospects in the next room', Koz panted, the look he gave her saying they both knew he could do it and neither of them would really care.

'Yeah, okay. So, have fun tonight with the guys. I'll see you tomorrow?' Courtney asked as she stood up a little shakily, unnerved a bit by both the tackle and the kiss but striving to appear normal.

'I'll call you. Opie and I are riding to Stockton to meet with Jax and Clay. Depends on what happens there. Might have to take a ride to Oakland; not sure. You'll be here or Tara's right?'

'I imagine. Maybe some do some shopping after I finish painting the spare room.'

'Good,' Koz wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her into the living room. 'Phil, head to the clubhouse. Miles, wrap up the kitchen, clean up and get to the club. Make sure you lock up when you leave.'

'Good night, Phil, Miles. Thanks so much for your help today.'

'Night.'

Koz walked Courtney to her car and waited for her to open the door, then gave her a quick kiss. 'I'll talk to you tomorrow, Courtney.'

'Sounds like a plan. Thanks again for the punching bag and stuff. Good night.'


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **Continued thanks to everyone who is reading, alerting, and leaving reviews! I didn't know what I was doing when I first started posting this story, and I just now realized the Author's notes and disclaimer didn't appear in chapter 1. I wanted to keep this story as true to what happened on the show as possible (there are probably things I've forgotten or just misremembered since I haven't watched season 1 or 2 in awhile) with one exception: Tara has not read the letters from John that Mo sent back for Jax to read. I felt with the friendship I was trying to build between Tara and Courtney, Tara wouldn't encourage Courtney to get involved in any way with SAMCRO, even working at Teller-Morrow and especially dating a Son, if she suspected Clay and Gemma had killed John. Anyway, just wanted to throw that out there. Thanks again for reading; enjoy the latest chapter.

Tara was sitting at the kitchen table drinking a cup of tea when Courtney let herself into the house. Courtney had stopped off and bought a bottle of chilled Pinot Grigio on the way over. She poured herself a glass, and then joined Tara at the table. The women sat in silence for a few minutes, lost in their own thoughts. Courtney asked after Abel, after which Tara got an update on how things stood at the house. Conversation between them flowed easily, and before either realized it, two hours had gone by. They had discussed everything from favorite authors to favorite zoo animals, and managed to avoid any topic related to Charming, car repair, motorcycle clubs, or men. The two found a lot in common, and the bond between them grew even stronger. The last time Tara could remember liking another woman so much had been in college, a girl from her dorm she still exchanged emails and Christmas cards with every year. She and Lyla had started to build a friendship, but it hadn't been instant or easy, but something about Courtney was familiar somehow.

The SAMCRO party was in full swing when Koz arrived. He grabbed a beer, and then headed towards the ring. He didn't care who he went up against, he wanted to box. Koz wasn't used to being sexually frustrated, and he planned on beating the shit out of as many of his brothers as he could to help him deal with it. He knew he could randomly point at any woman in the club and she would go back to his room with him and be more than happy to take care of him, but Koz figured if he'd had the restraint to not take Courtney on the bedroom floor, he could hold off another day or two until she had a bed delivered. Or the floor would be fine with him, just as long as the fucking prospects weren't in the next room. Not that Koz minded them hearing, but he figured a girl like Courtney would appreciate the privacy and since he'd already slowed things down to accommodate getting involved with her; he might as well do the whole damn thing right.

Two hours later, Koz had worked his way through all comers. He'd relished every punch he'd thrown, even the few hits his opponents had managed to land on him. Wiping off sweat and blood from a small cut above his left eye, Koz grabbed another beer and headed for Opie's side. Opie was in a corner, talking with Jury and a several other Sons from various charters.

'Hey brother, how's everything going at Courtney's?'

'Pretty good, bro. She plans on finishing painting tomorrow; have Miles and Phil start on the floors. The shit she's got coming from Idaho's supposed to get here Tuesday, so she really wants the kitchen, living room, and bedroom done by then.'

'How'd Miles do?'

'Fine. Courtney seemed happy with how organized he was about getting supplies and then laying them out at the house. And you know how she is about 'organized'.'

Koz and Opie both laughed heartily, 'Koz's new woman is running the T-M office while Gemma's on house arrest. Been in town less than a week and already completely reorganizing the entire office system,' Opie explained. 'If you haven't met her yet and are sticking around to help out in the garage, she'll be around Monday.'

'Courtney won't be popping in here tonight?' Jury asked.

'Naw. She's over at Tara's. Staying with her for a couple nights until we finish things up at the house. She's pretty wiped out, been a crazy week.'

'For all of us brother,' Opie said quietly. 'Can't believe how much shit happened in such a short time.'

'No shit man. Don't know 'bout anyone else, but I need more beer.'

'A lot more beer.'

The party raged on until sunrise. Koz, Opie, and Chibs made a point to each talk with every patched member present. They wanted to make sure that the other charters knew that even with Clay and Jax in prison, the mother charter was fully committed to business as usual; even expanding. It was important they didn't sense weakness or hesitation. Friday night's party being SAMCRO light was unusual but not a big deal. If it had been two nights in a row though, it might raise a few eyebrows. The last thing they needed right now was to take a chance that some other charter might make a play for being top dog in the Sons of Anarchy universe. Or someone to challenge Clay/Jax as President once their bid in Stockton was finished. The possibility was remote, but better safe than sorry. Taking the temperature of all the guys who had shown up for this first weekend was something they really needed to do before Opie and Koz headed to Stockton the next day to meet with Clay and Jax.

Courtney woke up early and was at the house by 7:30. Even though she and Koz had finished painting the master bedroom, the attached bathroom hadn't been touched. She planned on getting that done this morning, before anyone else showed up. She had stopped off and bought a coffee maker, coffee, creamer, and another assortment of pastries. Soon the scent of freshly brewed coffee mingled with the smell of fresh paint. She'd brought along her iPod docking station, southern rock blaring as she painted, going with the opposite colors as the bedroom. When Tara and Lyla showed up together an hour and a half later, Courtney was singing loudly along with the music, washing out the paint roller and brush she'd used.

'Does Koz know you like Country music?' Tara laughed.

Courtney grinned. 'Not yet. Think it's a deal breaker?'

'Could be. Some guys take their music pretty serious. What time'd you get here; you beat Abel up this morning.'

'I was up around 5:30, got here a couple hours later. I wanted to get the master bathroom painted first thing so Miles and Phil can get in the bedroom and do that floor today, too.'

'What's the plan for today?'

'Finish painting the living room, paint the spare room. The boys are going to try and get the bedroom and living room floors done today. I'd love to head for a garden center and buy some flowers and mulch and maybe some patio furniture, stuff like that, but not sure there'll be time for anything like that.'

'Why not? Lyla and I can paint, can't we Lyla? I'm sure Miles and Phil won't be the only guys showing up today. There won't be anything going on at the club until after Opie and Koz talk with Clay and Jax, and that won't be until afternoon.'

'I drove Opie's truck again, so you can haul shit from the garden center if you want. There's a place just outside town that has nice flowers, you should check it out. Gustafson's, about 5 miles South of T-M.'

'Go check it out,' Tara urged. 'We'll get started on the painting. Maybe if any of the other guys show up, we can get them to mow the lawn.'

'Thanks, that'd be perfect. Suppose I should pick up more beer, soda, and chips too. Maybe I'll grab stuff for sandwiches for lunch. It'll be good to have some things on hand anyway, until I do real grocery shopping. I have my cell in case you think of anything else I should pick up.'

Courtney spent almost two hours at the garden center. She bought a huge selection of flowers and herbs. Peat moss, sand, potting soil, mulch. Paving stones, decorative bricks. A bird bath. Solar lights. Gardening gloves. A couple good spades, some trowels, and a sturdy rake. She ordered a patio set, hammock, and extra chairs to be delivered and set out back on Monday. Swinging past the grocery store on her way back to the house, Courtney picked up a couple loaves of different types of bread; shaved ham, turkey, roast beef and pastrami; Colby jack, cheddar, and Swiss cheeses; mayo, mustard, a jar of dill slices, a couple tomatoes, lettuce, green peppers, and a Bermuda onion; a cutting board, a couple knives; napkins, paper plates, plastic cups and silverware; and several more bags of chips. She also grabbed a couple packages of brownies from the bakery, as well as two dozen chocolate chip cookies. And of course a case each of regular and diet coke; two cases each of regular and light beer, a bottle of rum, a bottle of whiskey, a bottle of vodka, and a bag of ice. Once everything was packed into Opie's truck, Courtney realized there was barely room for her.

There were several motorcycles parked outside her house when Courtney returned. She was starting to be able to pick out the differences in them, thought she picked out Chibs' in addition to Miles and Phil's bikes. A couple she was pretty sure she'd never seen before. She could see a big blond buy, probably as tall as Opie and as heavy as Bobby, mowing the back yard. The front had already been done, and a short redhead she recognized as having worked in the garage Friday, was using a weed whacker along the sidewalk. He nodded and smiled as Courtney jumped out of the truck onto the driveway. She smiled back, reaching in to grab the bags holding the cold stuff.

Chibs had seen her pull into the drive and wandered out to help carry stuff in, giving a low whistle when he caught sight of the packed truck bed. 'Darlin', did you buy out the entire store?'

Courtney grinned. 'There's more being delivered tomorrow, Chibs. Passenger seat has all the food and booze.'

'Now you're talking,' the Scottish man reached in and grabbed the cases of beer. 'You sure know how to take care of your friends, Courtney.'

'I try, Chibs, I try.'

It didn't take long for the truck to get unloaded. Courtney asked Lyla to oversee the kitchen supplies getting put away. She directed the guys who helped with the gardening supplies. The plants were placed in a shady spot next to the deck, while the other supplies were placed on the deck itself. Courtney explained to them what she envisioned being done with the paving stones and bricks, realizing it would probably help if she had a sketch. Not having much in the way of paper and pen available, she turned over the lid of the grill, dumped in sand, smoothed it and then used a stick to illustrate her vision of what the backyard would become. Erik and Franco, who were her help from Indian Wells and Rogue River respectively, nodded with understanding as soon as she finished.

'When Tiny finishes mowing we can get started. You want us to do the stones first, or the bricks?'

'Bricks. If you guys do that and upturn the sod and dig down just a couple inches, I'll fill the spaces with the right mixture of soil and sand, and then add the plants. When you finish with the bricks, fill these spaces with the stones. Not sure if I bought enough of everything, but I can have more delivered tomorrow with the patio furniture I bought. Thanks you guys, I appreciate your help. I brought back food, too. There are fixings for sandwiches, chips, soda, beer, etc, in the kitchen. Help yourselves whenever you get hungry or thirsty, okay?'

The little house was a hotbed of activity inside and out for the next several hours. Tara and Lyla had finished painting the living room and spare room. Miles, Phil, Chibs, Jury, and Little Stevie from Tacoma worked on the floors. A quick conversation between Courtney and Lyla led to Badger from Indian Wells painting the main bathroom walls with the remaining yellow paint and master bedroom green as trim. Lyla and Tara set out the baskets of flowers Courtney had purchased for the front yard, and then placed solar lights along the walkway leading to the house; then ended up in back, helping Courtney transplant flowers and herbs. Tiny and Red were roped into helping laying the paving stones once they finished the mowing and trimming. Even though everyone was working hard, they still had fun. Laughter rang out frequently. Beer flowed freely among the men, although the hard liquor remained untouched. When Opie and Koz arrived after their trip to Stockton, they were impressed by how much work had been completed. Inside the painting was done, and there were only a couple more planks of Pergo to put down in the spare room for that to be completed. The backyard had been completely transformed, with the star pattern of paving stones and beds of herbs and flowers was beautiful, even half-done as it was.

'Place is starting to shape up, Blaze.'

'Hey there, Koz. You like?'

'Yeah, I do. You sure know how to rally the troops,' he said, squatting down to brush a kiss on her cheek.

'Everyone's been great. Didn't expect this many people to show up today; kinda thought it'd be me and Miles fending for ourselves,' Courtney laughed. 'Things go okay for you and Opie?'

'Yeah. It was good. I need to steal away your help.'

'I had a feeling. Once I finish up here, I'll be back at Tara's.'

'Okay. Probably won't be able to see you again until tomorrow, at T-M.'

'Right. Good luck?' Courtney offered uncertainly as Kozik pulled her to her feet.

Koz smiled, 'Thanks,' he replied, kissing her soundly. 'Gotta take Miles along too. Wrap things up and head for Tara's, okay?'

'I'm going to finish what I've got started here. Probably another 2 hours.'

'Do me a favor and call it a day,' Koz wiped at a smudge of dirt on Courtney's cheekbone. 'You're starting to burn, should get out of the sun. I'll come over after work tomorrow and help you finish the yard.'

Courtney searched Kozik's eyes. 'Is this something I'm going to have to get used to? You telling me what to do, not giving me a reason why, and expecting me to be a good little woman and do what I'm told?' she asked quietly.

Koz shrugged, more amused than irritated. 'You really are getting sun burnt. You also look tired, but I didn't think it'd win me any points if I told you that you have dark circles under your eyes. Also, Tara will probably stick around and help as long as you stay, and she's been overdoing it lately; she needs to go home and relax. Asking you to stop has nothing to do with the club. But yeah, there's gonna be times I tell you to do or not do something and I won't give you a reason. If I wanted you at Tara's tonight because I was worried about some club shit coming down on you if you stayed here, you'd already be halfway there by now.'

'Okay. You do realize that I am a grown woman though, right? I've been mostly making my own decisions since I was 18. I know my limitations, and I reapplied sunscreen 15 minutes ago because I could tell I was getting too much sun. But you're right about Tara. So I'll wrap it up for the day and make sure she takes it easy tonight. And tomorrow you _will_ help me finish things here.'

'Yes, Ma'am. I didn't know you were a gardening expert,' Koz mused as he took another look around the back yard while Courtney quickly watered the new plants.

'I wouldn't say _expert_; more like _enthusiast_' Courtney grinned, thinking back to her first day in Charming when everyone was bending over backwards to make SAMCRO look like anything but a big bad MC. 'Okay, that should do it. I guess I'm ready to go.'

'Hey, Courtney. Thank you.'

'Yeah, sure. Something you may not yet know about me,' she grinned. 'I'm a little stubborn, and I really don't like being told what to do. But I like your concern for both me and Tara. Thank you.'

Koz pulled her close, leaning down to look her in the eyes. 'I made Jax a promise that I'd look out for his family while he's inside. You know she's pregnant, right?'

'Yes, Tara told me.'

'Good. Tara's pretty stubborn too. Maybe you can help convince her to take it down a notch and ease up her schedule a little.'

'Already done. She's lightened her hours at St. Thomas as much as she can for the rest of the month. I've gotten things down enough at the garage that Piney, Chucky, and I can handle it without her needing to come in anymore after Tuesday. The guys can probably deal without either of us there Tuesday but I think both Tara and Gemma want to have a chance for Tara to poke around without me there to see how much damage I've done to Gemma's system. My renting out this place has that off her mind; plus she'll be getting a little extra income from it. I've seen Gemma with Abel; if it seems like Tara needs some time to herself, I'm sure a sleepover at Grandma's would take about 2 seconds to arrange. I've already made plans for a 'girl's night' Friday; Lyla and I are going to fix dinner to take to Tara's and we'll watch some chick flicks and eat ice cream and laugh a lot. Or if she seems tired, we'll skip the movies and call it an early night,' Courtney tilted her head and pressed a kiss to the underside of Koz's jaw, where there was a light bruise from one of his boxing bouts the previous night.

Koz held her closer for a second, and then swung her around so they were both facing the house and started walking. 'A'ight. Point to Blaze,' he chuckled.

'That's right,' she laughed. 'I try to take care of the people I care about.'

'Yeah, that's pretty obvious. How much money have you spent on food and booze to feed everyone the last two days? T-M can fork over some petty cash to cover some of it.'

'Don't be silly. Maybe things are different in Charming, but where I come from, you repay people who volunteer to help you move and paint and all that by offering an abundance of food and beer. I've got money, Koz. I'm not rich, but I can easily afford what I spent. I'm sure it's less than what I would have spent to hire a crew to do all the work that's been done the past two days.'

'Your call. Ready to ride, Bro?' Koz called to Opie, who was the only person left in the house aside from Lyla and Tara.

'Just waiting on you, Bro. If it's too late when we finish up, I'll crash at the clubhouse,' Opie told Lyla before giving her a quick good-bye kiss.

Koz kissed Courtney quickly but thoroughly, 'See you in the morning.'

'In the morning,' she agreed.

Koz squeezed Tara's shoulder as he walked past her. 'Have a good night, Tara. Later, Lyla.'

'Thanks, Koz. See you later. Bye Opie.'

The three women listened to the roar of the motorcycle engines fade away. They were cleaning up the kitchen before leaving. Putting away the plates and chips that were still on the counter. Throwing away an almost empty package of roast turkey that had been left out unnoticed. Courtney wandered the house, taking in all the work that had been finished and making sure all the lights were turned off. Lyla threw her a questioning look when Courtney came back into the kitchen.

'Everything okay, Court?'

'Yeah, Koz was right; I'm more tired than I realized. I can't believe how much we all accomplished here in a couple days.'

'Yeah, hard to believe this is the same house I walked into yesterday morning. But I meant you and Koz. Looked like you were having a pretty serious chat out there.'

'He told me to call it a day and I didn't like that too much. I wanted to finish transplanting everything before I left. Working out the boundaries of our relationship, I guess you'd call it,' Courtney shrugged and laughed a little. 'Somehow I get the feeling 'stubborn, independent bitch' isn't a description that describes the majority of the women who hang out at the clubhouse.'

'If Koz wanted some subservient ass-kisser to boss around, he'd have made some croweater his old lady a long time ago' Lyla offered her opinion. 'Koz is smarter than he lets on to most people; I bet he likes it that you challenge him. It's sweet he's looking out for you though.'

'I agree. Lyla, you want to come over and watch a movie with us? Gemma is keeping Abel tonight.'

Lyla gave Tara an apologetic smile. 'Sorry Tara. I've got to pick up the kids from Mary; she is most definitely not keeping them tonight. Looking forward to Friday, though.'

'Me too. Good night then.'

'Good night Tara. Courtney.'

'Night Lyla. Thanks for your help today. And recommending Gustafson's.'

'No prob, Bob. See ya later.'

Tara turned to Courtney before they got into their respective cars. 'Are you sure you're ready to call it a day? It's still light outside; we could finish up the backyard before sunset I bet.'

'I'm beat, Tara. If Koz hadn't made me stop, I'd still be at it; and I think I'd be regretting it tomorrow. Don't tell him I said that. I think I need a pizza, a shower, and an early bed time tonight.'

'That actually sounds pretty good. I'll call and have one delivered. What do you want on your half?'

Courtney raised an eyebrow at the assumption they'd need separate halves, and then remembered she was dealing with a woman who had put coleslaw on a brownie the previous day. 'Black olives, spinach, mushroom, fresh tomato. See you at the house.'

When they both got into Tara and Jax's house, Tara informed Courtney it'd be 15 more minutes before the pizza was delivered. Courtney decided to take a quick shower. Even though she would have loved a long soak in the tub, with it being Tara's home, she decided to wait until she was in her own house before indulging in the bubble bath she'd been desiring for several days. Courtney had just gotten out of the bathroom, changed into a pair of boxer shorts and a tank top, when the pizza arrived. She and Tara, whose half wasn't a too terrible sounding bacon, chicken, pineapple, and green olive combo; settled comfortably on the couch, munching on their slices while trying to find something to watch on the television. They ended up turning it off, once again chatting the time away as they ate. Courtney put away the leftover pizza, and returned to the couch. The two women continued talking for another hour, when Courtney's inability to stop yawning got Tara going as well and they both decided trying to sleep would probably be a good idea. Over at the Winston house, Lyla had put all three kids to bed early and followed them almost immediately; hoping that Tara and Courtney were also able to make it an early night.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **Might be a couple days before I get to upload the next chapter since I think I'm going to be without internet access until Saturday. As always, thanks to everyone who is reading and extra special thanks to everyone taking the time to leave a review. Enjoy!

Meanwhile, just outside of Oakland, Opie, Koz, and the rest of the Sons were having their first meeting with the new True IRA contacts. Things were a little tense. It was a new relationship after all. Trust with the Irish as iffy at best. Even though everyone wanted the best out of this new gun dealing situation, emotions couldn't help but run high. Things had gone so bad thanks to Zoebelle, Stahl, Cammy Hayes, Jimmy O, and Kellan Ashby that trust was in short supply. Luckily Opie's stoic personality, combined with Koz' affable friendliness and the steady presence of Jury and a couple of the Rogue River guys put the Irish at ease and things went smoothly after the first several minutes. The last of the transport issues were ironed out, and the Sons and the Irish were back in business once again. Miles, Little Stevie, Red, Badger, and Chibs stayed in Oakland to make sure things went smoothly the next morning, while the rest of the guys headed back to Charming. It was going on 1AM when they rolled back into town.

Although they all ended up at the clubhouse, except for Opie who decided it wasn't that late and went home, there wasn't much of a party going on. A couple croweaters had hung around, desultorily shooting pool and drinking beer while waiting to see if any of the bikers returned at a decent hour. A few of the visitors grabbed beers and mingled with the women. Koz went straight to his room, took a shower, and went to bed. He was tired, knew it was likely to be a busy day at the shop tomorrow, and was committed to helping Courtney finish her yard work once they'd finished their respective shifts at Teller-Morrow. He just hoped everything would go smoothly with Chibs and the rest so he wouldn't have to break his promise to Courtney.

Monday was hot and humid. The flow of customers to Teller-Morrow was steady, but had evened out a bit from the craziness of the previous week. Courtney had indeed found her footing in the office, and made sure things on her end were working smoothly. Her confidence carried out to the shop, and the mechanics were all at the top of their game. The five who had stayed in Oakland were barely missed, although Courtney soon realized that she found herself listening for Chibs' accent and felt a little off that she wasn't hearing it. She, Koz, Opie, and Lyla ate lunch together at one of the picnic tables; sandwiches, chips, and sodas ordered from a local shop that Lyla had picked up and brought over for them. Once they had finished eating, they sat at the table awhile longer, conversing idly. Courtney rested her head on Koz's shoulder, half-asleep. She was a little tired, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her back and his arm solid around her waist and just relaxing against him while he and Opie chatted about something that she paid no real attention to. It was pleasant, and she wished they could stay like that forever. Then Piney called to her in his raspy voice asking about an invoice, and with a smile for Opie and Lyla and a kiss for Koz; Courtney's lunch break was over and she was back at work.

Although it was hot outside, the little T-M office was comfortable thanks to the A/C. Courtney made another pot of coffee, needing a caffeine boost to keep her going. She had gotten plenty of sleep the night before, but was still a little drained from everything. Thinking about the yard work ahead of her once the day at the garage ended, she sighed. It wouldn't be so bad, but she knew Tuesday would be crazy, with everything from Idaho being delivered, along with the new bed. Courtney felt a brief moment of regret for taking on so much at one time, and then she added an extra spoon of sugar to her coffee and gave thanks for the blessings that far outweighed the work she'd be facing. Once she was settled in at the new place, things would calm down and she just had to keep that in mind and everything would be fine.

Koz followed Courtney to the house. They were on their own; Milo had club tasks to take care of for the night that took precedence over helping Courtney. She changed out of her work outfit into a pair of shorts and a tank top, while Koz went straight to work in his jeans and t-shirt. They worked in comfortable silence for the most part; chatting amiable from time to time. After 20 minutes, Koz stripped off his shirt. Courtney tossed him a tube of sunscreen. He gave her a cocky grin, but then applied a healthy layer to his face and torso. Two hours after they had started, the last plant had been moved to its new home. Courtney watered all the plants liberally, while Koz ordered Chinese to be delivered for their dinner. He collapsed on the hammock that Courtney had had delivered by Gustafson's; the company had done an admirable job of setting up the patio furniture on the deck. Once Courtney shut off the water and coiled the hose, she settled in on top of Koz, kissing him as they balanced precariously.

'I hope you told the delivery guy to come around to the back; we'll never hear the doorbell back here.'

'You should open the patio doors so we can hear,' was his response.

'That means moving…'

'I guess we could go inside.'

'At this point there's more furniture outside than inside. And all the floors are hardwood now. That's not too comfortable.'

'Right. I can move something inside. A couple chairs. Or the loveseat thingy.'

'I'll just open the sliding door. It's a nice night, we can eat outside.'

'Mmmm, sounds good.'

Courtney quickly opened the glass door, and then settled back into Koz's embrace. They were both tired and hungry. Sweaty and a little dirty from working with the plants, and having put in a full day of work. They kissed and cuddled while waiting for their dinner to be delivered. Enjoying the time being completely alone, not having any goal in mind other than being together and waiting for their food to arrive. Koz teased Courtney about ordering extra crab Rangoon. Courtney teased back that she ran enough to burn off the calories, but how much boxing would he have to do to work off the calories if she decided to share. It was the kind of conversation that new lovers could carry on forever, while anyone listening in would cringe at overhearing within 15 seconds.

Koz listened to Courtney chatting with the delivery guy. It didn't surprise him at all that the conversation lasted longer than it would have if he'd answered the door. Courtney had a way with people, and he was learning that meant she'd spend as much time as she wanted talking to anyone and everyone, including him. As long as it didn't get her in trouble with any club enemies, it was a trait he admired. You could learn a lot in a casual conversation, and something Koz had learned over the years was the more natural and casual you were talking to people, the more they'd relax their guard and tell you more than they intended. Maybe someday Courtney's natural affinity for people would come in handy for the club. For now, he just enjoyed listening to her voice as she mentioned being new to town and being excited to try their food for the first time while the guy responded telling her how authentic their cooking was. He'd moved to the new outdoor love seat and was sitting there when Courtney finally made her way back outside, having snagged a couple beers to go along with the food.

They ate in companionable silence. Both tired and hungry, willing to forgo conversation for sustenance. Eating from each other's containers, trading bites of the different dishes they'd ordered. Enjoying just being together, nothing else needed from the other person to feel validated. Food forgotten now and then while they kissed instead. All in all, it was the perfect way to spend an evening. Courtney sighed contentedly after swallowing the last bite of her last crab Rangoon.

'I could stay like this forever.'

'I know, right? Perfect night.'

'Yeah, it really is.'

'You and Miles going to be able to handle everything coming here tomorrow?'

'I hope so. I'm expecting a lot from the moving company I hired. If they're what I think they are, we'll be good.'

'A'ight. I think you should kiss me again.'

So Courtney kissed Koz again. They were sprawled out on the patio love seat, food containers forgotten on the ground. Courtney's tank top and bra soon joined the discarded food. Koz was in the process of removing her shorts when the insistent buzz of the doorbell finally registered on his consciousness. He pulled her shorts back into place and tossed her the tank top before heading to see who was at the door. But before he reached the patio door, Opie and Lyla came through the gate into the backyard.

'Hey, figured you guys were back here and couldn't hear the doorbell. Saw your bike and Courtney's car and knew you had to be around.'

'Yeah and you didn't stop to think we might be occupied in something that didn't want interrupting?' Koz asked with frustration obvious in his voice.

'Sorry Bro. Just wanted to see if you were still working on the yard and needed some help,' Opie shot Courtney an apologetic look. 'Sorry Courtney.'

'It's okay; it was thoughtful of you to offer. We finished about an hour ago, I guess. What do you think of the final result?'

'It's lovely, Courtney. And I really like the patio furniture you bought.'

'Thanks Lyla. It's pretty comfortable too. Have a seat. Would either of you like something to drink? There's still beer and soda left from yesterday,' she offered, putting a gentle hand on Koz's shoulder, pressing down lightly to encourage him to sit back down on the love seat. 'You want another beer, Koz?'

'Sure. Might as well.'

Courtney grabbed the empty food containers and her bra to take in the house with her. She knew Koz was angry that Opie and Lyla had interrupted them, but she was grateful for it. She'd been totally oblivious to anything but Koz, barely realizing they were about to have sex on the patio, in full view of any neighbors who happened to be outside or look out their windows. Not exactly the impression she wanted to be making in the neighborhood. She grabbed four beers and a couple bags of chips to take back outside.

The two couples spent a couple hours drinking beer and playing euchre with a pack of cards Lyla had in her purse. Koz had recovered his good humor by the time Courtney had returned to the back yard. He and Opie had always gotten along, but hadn't really spent much time together before now. He found that he liked Opie's quiet, dry sense of humor. Lyla was a sweet girl, and she seemed to get along really well with Courtney. The four of them had a good time together. It was a relaxing way to spend an evening. Not as relaxing as having sex would have been, but Koz realized how lucky he was anyway. It was amazing how everything had worked out perfectly to allow him and Courtney to meet in the first place. Koz had never thought much about fate but he was starting to wonder if something had been at work to bring her into his life.

Opie and Lyla had to leave at 9:30 to pick up the kids, who had gone to a movie with a friend of Kenny's. Courtney wanted to get to Tara's by 10, which would be about the time the doctor got home from her shift at the hospital and then picking up Abel. Koz was resigned to spending another night at the clubhouse, hanging out with whoever was around before heading to his dorm room alone. He kissed Courtney good-bye, keeping it light since he wasn't in the mood for more sexual frustration


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Here we go finally able to get back online and post the next chapter; hope you enjoy. As always thanks to everyone reading/favoriting/alerting and reviewing.

The next night Koz wasn't able to get to Courtney's until after 8. It had been a crazy day at the shop and then they had to make a trip to Oakland to work out something with one of their new IRA contacts. Courtney had sounded tired when he had talked to her before leaving Oakland to head home. He was interested in seeing Courtney's things; what kind of paintings she hung on her walls, what kind of knickknacks she set out. He was curious to see pictures of her family and friends, more than the few she'd shown him from her laptop. What kind of books she had on her shelves, because he knew she was a reader. The more he learned about Courtney, the more he realized he didn't know and he wanted to know everything about her; it was a new thing for him to feel that way. He thought back to the conversation he'd had with Opie, just before Courtney had come into their lives, about how didn't think there was a 'right' woman for him. It was almost like admitting that had drawn Courtney to Charming and into his life.

The house was quiet when Koz let himself in. Miles was sitting on the living room floor, hooking up the TV cables. Koz took one look at the kid, saw how tired he was, and sent him home. He was surprised that the house didn't look as complete as he had expected it to be. There were still a lot of unpacked boxes lying around both the living room and kitchen. Furniture was in place, but no decorating had been done. Koz walked into the bedroom to find Courtney, fully dressed, asleep on the bed. Curled around a couple boxes that she'd obviously been going through and starting to unpack when she fell asleep. He put a hand on her shoulder, and shook her gently.

'Courtney, hey Sweetheart. Wake up.'

'Mmmm. Koz? Whatimeisit?' she mumbled sleepily.

'About 8:30.'

'Nightormornin?'

'Night. Sent Miles home, he looked about ready to drop too. Moving company didn't meet expectations I take it?'

'They did until one of 'em had a freaking heart attack. Thank God Tara was here at the time, and she had baby aspirin for Abel in her purse. She kept him stable until the ambulance got here. Guess he's going to be okay.'

'Jesus Christ. Why didn't you call?'

'I knew there was nothing you could do, Koz. Tara told me how the garage was busier than expected, and you'd already called and told me you guys all had to go to Oakland after work. Miles and I just did what we could. At least I can live here now. I'm starving. You eat dinner yet?'

'Yeah, we had our meet at some Irish restaurant. Want me to order you something?' Koz was a little pissed that he hadn't been informed about the snafu with the moving guy, but realized Courtney was right, there wasn't anything he could have done about the situation so he might as well just let it go; it was part of her making her own decisions.

'No, that's okay. I can make a sandwich, there's still some stuff left from the weekend.'

'Okay. I'll finish hooking up all your TV connections; Miles was working on that when I got here.'

'Thanks. I hate trying to figure out where all the stupid cables go. Takes me forever. What happened to make the garage so busy today? Tara had just started telling me when Fred had his heart attack.'

'8 car pile up. We got called to tow 'em all in; took most of the morning to tow 'em, line 'em up for the insurance company and cops. They wanted it reconstructed at some police garage over at the Sanwa Sheriff's.'

'I guess that'd do it, huh? That kinda thing happen often?' Courtney asked as she settled on the couch, a paper plate holding her turkey sandwich, a dill pickle and some chips. 'Oh, I missed my couch. So comfy.'

Koz turned his head to grin at her, amused by the blissful tone to her voice. 'Not too often. Deputy Eglee from Charming was first on scene, so she called us in before Sanwa County got there. Charming gets the occasional fender-bender and deer vs. car, but generally not too many big pile ups. Eglee's a good one. If Charming PD stays open, there's a good chance she'll end up in Unser's chair.'

'Cancer?'

'Yeah. How'd you know?'

'He has that look, something about the way people hold their bodies when it's got them on the ropes.'

'Yeah. He hadn't been doing well, but once Hale died in that drive-by, it was like all the fight left Unser. I had to go back to Tacoma right after that whole situation and I was shocked when I came back a couple months later to see how bad he looked. He's stage 3, so there's still some hope I guess.'

'There's always hope, until we die,' Courtney said thoughtfully.

'I suppose. There, let's see if I did this right.' Koz leaned back against the sofa and clicked the remote.

The TV came to life, some random channel showing an old movie dubbed in Spanish. Koz flipped through the channels, stopping when he found a Dukes of Hazzard rerun. He moved to the couch, noticing that it did seem very comfortable. He put an arm around Courtney's shoulder almost absently, tucking her close to his side. They sat quietly watching the show, while Courtney finished her dinner. She lazily placed the empty plate on the floor when she was done. Koz took the opportunity to stretch out, and pull her down in front of him. He'd done it, thinking during the next commercial he'd take advantage and make a move towards finally having sex with Courtney. But within minutes, she was asleep again, and he didn't have the heart to wake her up. When the show was over, he carefully scooped her up, and carried Courtney to the bedroom. She stirred and mumbled, but didn't really wake up. Koz tucked her under the covers, and then cleared off the other side. He stripped down to his boxers and crawled in beside her. It was early for him to go to bed, but he wanted to sleep with Courtney the first night in her new home. If he couldn't have sex with her, at least he could hold her for the night. The blond biker fell asleep much sooner than he'd expected to, finding himself completely relaxed in the extremely comfortable bed, Courtney's warm body held close.


	11. Chapter 11

The next morning, Courtney woke to the muffled ringing of her cell. She could hear it, but had no idea where it was. Koz's arm was heavy across her waist. When she tried to roll out of bed, he held her down. 'It's too fucking early for phone calls,' he growled when she tried to push his arm away.

'If it's too early it's probably important,' she responded impatiently. 'Let me up, Koz.'

At that moment her phone rang again, and so did his prepay. 'Sonofabitch,' he rolled over and scooped his phone off the floor, where he'd noticed it had fallen out of his pocket when he'd taken off his jeans the previous night.

'What? Tell whoever's calling Court to fucking stop, she's with me and god only knows where the fuck her phone is, sounds like its underfuckingwater.' Koz listened to the voice on the other end for several minutes. 'We'll be there in 15 minutes.'

'What is it?'

Koz rubbed his hand over his face. 'Abel's been admitted to St. Thomas. He woke up screaming, 104° fever. Tara thinks it's an ear infection, but with his heart condition…'

'Shit. I need to pee and brush my teeth and I'll be ready. I bought you a toothbrush,' Courtney said absently as she made her way to the bathroom. 'Poor baby.'

Koz pulled on his jeans, then t-shirt. He looked in the mirror on Courtney's dresser, thinking he looked like shit and really needed to shave. He hated wearing yesterday's clothes, too. The thoughts were just distractions to keep him from worrying about Abel, and what it would do to Jax if the baby had something seriously wrong with him and Jax was stuck in prison. Courtney came back into the room, handing him a red toothbrush. He wandered into the bathroom, deciding he might as well take two minutes to piss and brush his teeth too. When he walked back into the bedroom, Courtney was dressed in the same shorts she'd worn to bed, but he noticed she'd pulled on a hoodie over the t-shirt and was putting her hair into a ponytail.

'Ready?'

'Yeah, let's go,' Courtney was already walking to the living room, grabbing her purse and then noticing her cell sticking out from under a box on the kitchen table and grabbing that too.

There was no discussion, they both headed for Koz's motorcycle. Courtney strapped on the helmet Koz had bought for her and hopped on behind him. They were on the road five minutes after Koz had hung up the phone. Breaking every speed limit between her house and the hospital, they were at St. Thomas's 12 minutes later. The motorcycle she recognized as belonging to Chibs was already there, but neither Piney's nor Opie's were there, nor was Lyla's car or the Caddy. Chibs was at the front desk when she and Koz walked in the door, he turned to go the direction he'd been pointed when he became aware of their presence.

'This way, they admitted him straight to pediatric cardiac unit. 3rd floor,' Chibs repeated the information he'd been told. 'Darlin' you really shouldn't be riding in shorts and flip-flops', he admonished Courtney absentmindedly.

She just shrugged. 'Didn't think about it, wore what I slept in and these were by the door. Didn't seem to matter, just worried about Abel and Tara.'

The Scotsman put his arm around her shoulder as they got into the elevator and gave her a quick one-armed hug. 'You're a good girl, Darlin'. Damn glad you rolled into town. You get tired of blondie over there, you give me a call', he offered, trying to lighten the mood a little.

Koz pursed his lips in the way he had when he was anxious. 'Knock it off Chibs. Christ, can't this family catch a fucking break?'

Courtney gave Chibs a wink, wrapping her arm tightly around Koz's waist. 'I think I'll hold onto this one a bit longer. He seems like a keeper.'

Koz looked down at the girl looking up at him and felt some of his nervousness and irritation melt away just from seeing the expression in her eyes. 'Sorry bro.'

'Aye,' Chibs clapped him on the back. 'Too early in the morning for bad news.'

'No shit,' Koz agreed fervently.

They saw Tara as soon as the elevator doors opened. She was pacing in front of an exam room. An older woman with reddish-brown hair stood nearby, watching Tara. When the elevator dinged, announcing their arrival, Tara jumped and turned their way. Her face was pinched and tear-stained. She rapidly walked towards the trio. Courtney reached her first, reaching out to tightly hug the other woman, who started crying hard. Chibs and Koz were right behind, wrapping their arms around the two women. Koz made eye contact with Margaret Murphy, making a motion with his head to indicate she could join them. After a slight hesitation, the hospital supervisor joined the group hug.

'Any news?' Koz asked when Tara had stopped crying.

Margaret was the one to answer. 'Not really. We're trying to bring down his temperature while tests are run to find the source of the infection. Abel's heart, BP, and pulse ox readings are all pretty good so that makes it being a problem with the heart unlikely but we can't rule anything out for sure yet.'

'We just got him back,' Tara sniffed. 'It's not fair.'

Courtney hugged her friend again. 'It isn't,' she agreed.

Koz cleared his throat. 'I hate to ask, but does Gemma know?'

Tara groaned. 'No. If I call her I just know she's gonna come here and set off her ankle monitor and end up in prison. If this turns out to be an ear infection I'd rather be able to tell her that, you know? If it's serious, I'm sure something can be arranged for her to come to the hospital. Jax too.'

'Right,' Koz agreed. 'I'll call Rosen in a little bit; see what he has to say. Either when we know something or the sun's actually up.'

'What floor is the cafeteria on? Or the closest coffee machine?' Courtney asked.

'Oh, Courtney. You must be so tired with all the work over the weekend, and the moving guys not being much help yesterday,' Tara apologized. 'I should have waited a couple hours to call you and Koz. I panicked.'

'No, Tara. I'm glad you called. I'm fine; fell asleep watching TV with Koz, probably was out by 9:30, maybe earlier. Didn't even wake up when he carried me to the bedroom and tucked me in, so I've had plenty of sleep' she assured the other woman. 'I wake up early anyway; you should know that after the past couple days. Getting coffee's just something to do while waiting for news at a hospital, that's all. It's what you do.'

'Come with me,' Margaret offered. 'We can get coffee from the nurse's station. It's slightly better than the stuff in the machines.'

The two women set off down the hallway, introducing themselves as they walked. Koz pulled Tara in for another hug, wanting to do more to reassure the doctor everything was going to be okay. But he wasn't a doctor, and knew next to nothing about babies, so there wasn't anything he could do but wait. He felt helpless and useless, and could tell Chibs felt the same way. This was even worse than trying to find Abel, or save Tara and Margaret from Alvarez, because at least then there were actions he could take. Even if some of them didn't work as planned, at least he was doing something.

Opie and Lyla arrived shortly after Courtney and Margaret had left for their coffee run. Tara cried anew, getting hugs from the new arrivals. The limited information they had was shared. Looks of frustration were shared between Opie, Koz, and Chibs. Courtney and Margaret returned with a couple carriers of coffee apiece, passing out the steaming cups and offering cream and sugar to be added if desired. As everyone was tending to their coffee, Piney, Miles, and Phil all arrived, with Jury and Chucky right behind. More coffee was retrieved, and the hallway began to resemble the clubhouse more than a hospital, an occurrence that had been happening much too often at St. Thomas in recent months, to the dismay of both hospital administration and SAMCRO.

The group didn't talk much. It was still early in the morning, just past 6. It had been a late night; most of them had gone on the Oakland run and were too wired to get to sleep until well after midnight. Except for Jury and Courtney, they all knew what it had been like when Abel was missing, and feared what it would do to Gemma, Jax, and even Clay and the other imprisoned Sons if something happened to the baby now that he'd been returned, but they had been taken away from him. They stood in small groups, sipping at coffee that none of them really wanted to be drinking. Finally Tara was called into the room by the attending physician.

She came out a few minutes later, relief evident on her face. 'It's a double ear infection and strep throat. Heart is fine. He'll be on antibiotics for 10 days, but is already feeling better thanks to being able to finally give him something for the pain, poor baby. Gonna keep him here for observation for a few hours, make sure he doesn't react to the antibiotics or the high fever doesn't come back.'

Everyone was glad for the news. It sucked Abel was so sick, but they were all grateful it wasn't anything worse. Gradually everyone made their good-byes and left. Courtney, Koz, Lyla, and Opie were the last to go.

'Need anything from the house, Tara? Koz and I can swing by, and then I'll double back here before I head to T-M.'

'No, but thank you for offering to do that, Courtney. I'm okay; if anything changes I'll call. Thanks for coming, all of you.'

'Like you could keep us away,' Lyla scoffed. 'I think you're stuck with the four of us for the foreseeable future, Tara.'

'Good to know,' she smiled gratefully. 'I'm sorry I woke everyone up so early.'

'No problem. We're all just glad the little dude's going to be okay.'

Koz dropped Courtney off at the house. He needed to go to the clubhouse to shower and change clothes before beginning the work day. Courtney gave him a quick kiss before heading inside. She took a quick shower, and got ready for work in record time. It was supposed to be another hot and humid day, so she put on a short tank dress and sandals, the same shade of emerald green as the dress. She twisted her still wet hair into a loose bun, swiped on the barest essentials of makeup; a touch of eye shadow, two coats of mascara, and some lip gloss, and was ready to go. She kept a black cardigan at the office, knowing sometimes the a/c got too chilly for what she wore to work, but liking to dress for the weather because she was in and out of the garage and liked to hang out at one of the picnic tables with the laptop working on invoices for part of the day.

There was a huge stack of paperwork to get through from the previous day. Most of it had to do with the accident Koz had told her about. The schedule was pretty light for the day, definitely the least amount of scheduled repairs on the books in the short time she'd been working at the garage. Courtney started a pot of coffee, and then got the paperwork ready for the mechanics, so they would be ready to start their first repairs. She had already organized the mess of papers from the insurance company and the Sanwa Sheriffs by the time Koz and Opie clocked in. The other guys gradually made their way to work, and soon the air was filled with the sounds of car repair.

The day passed quickly. Tara called to check in with Courtney a couple times, so she could update the guys on Abel. The little boy was responding well to the pain meds and the antibiotics. Tara had called Gemma and broke the news of Abel's illness. Grandma hadn't taken it too well; with the end result being Tara and Abel would be staying with Gemma until Abel was truly on the road to recovery. Jax had received the news much better, Tara had confided. He was just happy his son would be okay, and it hadn't been anything more serious than the usual childhood illnesses. Jax figured with what Abel had already been through in his short life, a sore throat and earache wasn't much to worry about. Was something normal, that most kids experienced in the first couple years of their lives. Not being born addicted, with their belly on the outside, a major genetic heart issue, and then being kidnapped by not one, but three different crazy Irishman, all before turning a year old. Shaking her head, Courtney could only agree with the man she had yet to meet, that Abel's illness although scary at the time, wasn't anything worse.

Courtney left T-M before the mechanics that day. Chucky would finalize the last few invoices and make sure everything was turned off and locked up when he left. Courtney and Lyla had been tasked by Gemma to bring her groceries and then help cook dinner for the group. Courtney would have preferred going straight home and going to bed early, but knew there was no way she would be able to skip out on Gemma's invitation.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** Sorry it's been so long since I updated; life's been a bit hectic and I lost my writing rhythm. Not totally happy with this chapter but I wanted to go ahead and get an update posted for anyone who has been waiting. Thanks for hanging in, been rewatching season 2 and 3 so hopefully inspiration will strike again soon. Can't wait until Tuesday for season 4 to start Thanks again to all those who have reviewed/favorited/alerted!

Gemma had been feeling left out, being stuck in her house all the time. Knowing that they had all been up early to go to St. Thomas' Gemma figured a nice family meal would lift her spirits as well as theirs, and remind the bikers that she was still Queen of the Club. She'd heard enough stories about all the Sons, even the visitors from other charters, stopping by to lend a hand in Courtney's work fixing up Tara's family house that she wanted to observe Courtney interact with the bikers in person. It intrigued her that the woman who a week ago was scared of taking a job because of its closeness to the MC now appeared to be comfortably a part of the world.

Tara struggled to not laugh when Gemma shared that thought. 'Oh, I don't think it's that Courtney's embracing the MC life, Gemma. I'm pretty sure she hasn't even stepped foot in the clubhouse yet; the picnic tables are a close as she's gotten. I think most the guys who helped out Sunday stopped by just to check out Koz's new chick; then stayed because she had plenty of food and beer on hand. Franco and Little Stevie are good friends with Koz; so they were there for Koz. Courtney is still nervous about the club; she hasn't said anything yet, but I could tell she was pretty worried about Koz and the guys going to Oakland to meet with the Irish last night. After all, all she's heard about the Irish and SAMCRO at this point is Abel's kidnapping, and Agent Stahl and Jimmy O getting killed, so she has no idea what's going on between the club and the Irish now, and I'm sure she's thinking it's nothing good.'

'I'm not sure _I_ think its something good,' Gemma stated. 'Getting further into bed with the Irish with more than half the club on the way to prison? That was taking a huge risk.'

Tara shrugged. 'There wasn't any choice, it was the only way to get Abel back Jax hates that they had to do it, but Clay thinks it's going to be good for SAMCRO.;

'When did they let you in on the fact the whole club knew about Jax and Stahl's deal?' Gemma finally asked the question that had been nagging at her for over a week.

'After Stahl had you cleared of the killings. They needed someone to take Jimmy to the garage, so Jax filled me in on everything and asked me to do it. He hated not telling you, Gemma. But the club decided you not knowing would make it more convincing to Stahl. She never would have signed the deal giving them short-time on the gun charges if she hadn't been convinced they'd kill Jax for turning rat and all end up doing the full sentence for the gun charges and whatever they'd be sentenced for murdering him.'

'Yeah, I get it. I do. Why didn't you tell me after it was over and they were on their way to Stockton?'

'Jax asked me not too. He wanted you to read his letter, hear it from him. Plus he wanted to wait until he knew Jimmy and Stahl were dead. Things might not have worked if they were still alive; Koz and Opie had to get their hands on that IRA council file Stahl had from Jax and destroy it.'

'Right. Kozik, he really stepped up for the club in all of this. You know anything about the beef between him and Tig?'

'Me? No, not a clue on that one other than Tig hates him; Koz just seems annoyed by the whole situation. You're close to Tig; you don't know?'

'Not a clue. Clay doesn't even know; thought he was going to punch Tig that last vote.'

'How do you think Tig's going to react about Koz being back in the charter?'

'I think he's going to be pissed. But it's best for the club; Tigger should've done the right thing and let him back in that last vote. Settle whatever's between them when he gets out of prison. Koz is a good guy; if they couldn't work it out, he'd probably go back to Tacoma or another charter. What do you think of Kozik?'

'I agree with you, Gemma. He's really stepped up and helped out. I heard he's the one who talked Alvarez into playing dead to try and get me and Margaret free of Salazar. He's the one who came up with the idea of having Miles do other shit since he's so bad with cars. Koz is smart, much smarter than he lets on. He and Opie work well together.'

'I think so too. You think he's smart enough to hold onto Courtney? You think she's someone we want to keep around?'

Tara shrugged. 'I can't answer that, Gemma. I think 'yes' to both, but it is way too early to tell. I hope so. I really do.'

'How does she treat Lyla? She know about the porn?'

'Yeah, Courtney knows Lyla does porn. Don't think she cares. Don't think it's a career choice she'd make but I didn't notice her treating Lyla any different after she found out. In fact, I'm pretty sure I heard them talking at the hospital about playing cards the other night. And Lyla was asking Courtney about teaching her Microsoft Office and shit like that. Think Teller-Morrow can afford Lyla part-time to assist Courtney?'

'If it can get Lyla out of porn, I think we can work something out; it'll be worth it for Opie's sake if nothing else. Maybe Courtney can teach Lyla enough to get her a job somewhere else before Opie goes crazy from his Old Lady being a porn star. Speaking of porn stars that's probably Lyla and Courtney,' Gemma laughed as the doorbell rang.

'As long as it isn't Ima,' Tara muttered.

The evening went better than Gemma could have hoped. She was able to see that although Courtney was well-liked, the red-head wasn't tit-deep into club life yet. It was little things that not many people would have probably picked up on, but it was enough for Gemma. The bikers all paid deference to Gemma, Tara, and then Lyla. Courtney was treated very well, but the difference between her being liked and being part of the SAMCRO world was obvious if you knew what to look for. Seemed to Gemma that the bikers accepted that Courtney was Koz's girl, but they realized she was no Old Lady. It was an odd situation, just like almost everything else going on with the club these days. Koz was patched back in SAMCRO by default. Courtney was everyone's darling but she wasn't part of the club at all. Everything was balanced on a wire. The whole club was a house of cards; it wouldn't take much to knock it all down. Gemma wasn't sure what would be better; for Koz to keep the girl in the dark about the outlaw side of his life, or for him to disclose that aspect before they got involved any deeper. Given how much uncertainty there was right now, Gemma decided to just let things ride for now; she wasn't going to interfere in the relationship. There was plenty of time to stick her nose into things; she'd at least sit back until she was off house arrest unless there was something urgent brought to her attention.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Wow, guess it's been a lot longer than I realized since I updated. Thanks to those of you who have found the story during my writing hiatus and added it to your favorites. Sorry I've been away for so long; I will try to do better by you all from now on.

After the dinner at Gemma's, Koz followed Courtney home. The prospects had been invited to dinner, so the house was exactly the same as it had been when she'd left for work that morning. Koz watched her wander around, randomly picking up things from boxes before putting them back down and going to the next box. It was obvious she wanted things unpacked and put away, but couldn't face the idea of it at the moment. He wasn't exactly sure what to say or do, so hung back a little. After a few minutes, Courtney walked over to where he was standing.

'Would you think less of me if I decided to let all these boxes sit until the weekend? I know I should care that most of my belongings are still just sitting around packed away, but I don't.'

Koz thought about it for a moment, sensing that this was a serious question for Courtney, and wanting to give it some consideration. "It doesn't bother me, Blaze. As long as you're comfortable with the decision, I'm okay with it. It's not like all of this has been under your control. All you can do is make the best of the situation. And if that means waiting another couple days to unpack everything, well then, you have my support if you feel you want or need it.'

'I feel so overwhelmed right now, Koz. I feel like I need to have all the boxes unpacked and my house in order. I feel like I should be totally in control at T-M. I feel like I should be helping Tara and Gemma with Abel more. I feel like I should be having sex with you. I feel like I should be hanging out at your clubhouse with all the guys and the girls. The croweaters and sweetbutts or whatever. I feel like I'm failing at everything…'

'No, you don't need to worry about any of that Courtney. You're doing so good; you're amazing, don't you know that? You've got the job down; don't think there's anything there that you can do any better until you get more experience. You were there for Tara at the hospital; she'll let you know if she needs help with Abel. The club, well you don't have to worry about any of that at all. If you want to know about that side of things, well we'll talk about it and get you introduced to things at your pace when you want. You and me? You know I want you, Courtney. I want you so bad I don't know what to do with myself most of the time. But I like you too. I want to know you as much as I want you. So. That's where I am, I don't really give a flying fuck about anything but you. If you're not ready for sex right now, I can handle it for a few more days. More than that? We're gonna need a conversation, okay?'

'Yeah, I can deal with that. I want to be with you, you know that, right? It's like everything is on fast forward or something, Kozik. Everything. I don't know if I'm standing or sitting most of the time. I thought I was okay with it all, had it under control, but walking in and seeing all these unpacked boxes makes me want to cry.'

Koz walked into the kitchen and poured a glass of wine, grabbing a beer for himself. 'Drink this. We'll find a movie or something and just relax in front of the TV for a couple hours, how does that sound?'

'Perfect. It's Wednesday night; we can watch Criminal Minds, okay?'

'Whatever you want,' Koz agreed as they settled on the couch. 'What is it?'

Courtney explained the crime procedural drama about a team of FBI agents from the Behavioral Analysis Unit. They investigated serial crimes, building a profile of the unsub (unknown subject, she'd clarified at his puzzled look) based on his behavior at the crime scenes, what he did to the victim and how he did it, that led them to discovering the bad guy every episode. It didn't seem like a show he'd choose to watch on his own, but by the second commercial break, Koz was fascinated. Courtney filled in some character background, explaining the strengths of the main cast and their areas of expertise. She'd already downed her glass of wine and was working slowly on a second, much more relaxed and more like herself. She was curled up on the couch, feet tucked under her, leaning against Koz, who had his arm around her.

'That wasn't half bad, I'd watch it again.'

Courtney laughed as it turned out the network was airing another episode in the next hour. 'Lucky you, here's your chance. But you can switch to something else if you want.'

'This is okay with me. It's pretty interesting; do you know if it's based on reality?'

'I think so, to a point. There's a real Behavioral Analysis Unit at the FBI, and they work these types of cases. I think a lot of the psychology and such is accurate. I always wanted to go back to college and get a degree in psychology; not to do anything like that, but people just really interest me.'

'Yeah, I can see that, Court. You should do it, get that degree.'

'Maybe someday I will,' Courtney laughed. 'I feel too old to be a college student, but it might be fun to hand out on a campus again.'

They fell into silence until the next commercial break. 'I didn't go to college, enlisted in the Army and went to boot camp a month after graduation,' Koz said.

'What mad you choose the Army? And then leave the service?'

'I didn't pay too much attention in school; grades weren't good enough for college scholarships so I went Army. Got assigned to the motor pool, that's where I really learned car repair. Probably would have stayed in the Army for life, but had a bad experience during Desert Storm. When my time was up, I decided to not reenlist. A buddy and I were trying to figure out what to do when we got out, he was from Charming and I came home with him. Met some of the guys from SAMCRO and decided to prospect into the club. J.T. – Jax's Dad- Clay, Piney, and a couple other members were Army, the met during Vietnam; all got out the same time and ended up creating the club.'

'I thought Clay was Jax's dad?'

'No. Clay's his step-dad. Jax's dad was John Teller. After he died, Gemma married Clay. Jax was like 14 or something when J.T. died. Clay's the 'Morrow' in Teller-Morrow. Gemma mostly still uses Teller for her last name.'

'Okay I get it. You'd think I would've picked up on that, huh?'

'I doubt it's something that comes up in random conversations and if Gemma or Tara didn't mention it, how would you know? What's the deal with the geeky guy spouting off everything all the time?'

'Reid has an eidetic memory, can read tons of words a minute, and has a high IQ. He's pretty much a walking encyclopedia. He's adorable.'

'If you say so.'

'Oh, trust me, I do. Keep watching episodes; you'll love Reid soon enough. They rerun old episodes all the time on a couple channels, pretty soon you'll be addicted.'

Koz chuckled. 'I don't watch a lot of TV. There's usually one on in the background at the clubhouse, but I don't have one in my room here. Have one in my place in Tacoma, but I wasn't there much. Guess I should head up there one of these days and pack up my stuff since I'm back in Charming.'

'I'd like to help, if you want.'

'Sure. After we get you settled, maybe next weekend unless I've got something to do for the club.'

The news came on after the episode of Criminal Minds. Koz didn't pay too much attention, but he noticed Courtney did. She was someone who was interested in many things, he already knew that. She was definitely someone who paid attention to the details It was no surprise she wanted to know what was going on in the world. He picked up the remote once the news ended.

'You wanna watch Leno or Letterman?'

'Neither. I'm ready to call it a night. But you're welcome to watch whichever you want. If you want to stay, that's fine. If you want to back to the clubhouse, please make sure everything's locked and the alarm is set,' Courtney requested, pressing a kiss to Koz's lips.

Koz switched back and forth during the opening monologues. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do. Sleeping with Courtney without sex was good, but also sucked. Going back to the clubhouse horny, with all the croweaters hanging around, sucked. Knowing that she trusted him no mater what he decided didn't suck. At all. And that made him follow her to bed 15 minutes later. He brushed his teeth, stripped to his boxers again, and climbed into bed. Courtney let him pull her against him, making a contented-sounding sleepy noise as he kissed her cheek. They were both sound asleep less than 15 minutes later. If nothing else, Koz thought just before he drifted off, staying with Courtny was going to be good for his liver and his lungs as he drank less and wasn't subjected to secondhand smoke when he was with her.

Jax sprawled across his bed at Stockton. He was sharing a cell with Juice, which meant that although sometimes he wanted to strangle the other guy for talking so much, it didn't take too much to get Juice to shut up when he wanted to think. The visit with Koz and Opie on Sunday seemed to go pretty good. Things with the Irish, a deal Jax hadn't really wanted but had to accept in order to get Abel back and set up Jimmy, seemed to be starting well. Jax knew that Opie was committed to the future of SAMCRO, and he was starting to think that Koz was going to be a very big part of that future. Jax wanted Clay out of the President's seat as soon as possible once they were released from prison. He also didn't want Tig as his Sergeant at Arms, no fucking way. Jax was never really sure how it might all play out; Opie might make a better SAA than VP, but with Koz in the game he could see making Opie his VP and Koz his SAA. Juice wasn't ready for either position, and Jax didn't think he'd be ready in 14 months either. Happy was a possibility for SAA, but Jax wasn't sure it was a position he would want. Maybe when they got out there would be guys voted in from other charters who would be a fit, but for now, Jax was thinking Koz could be a major player in the future of the club. His phone conversation with Tara about Abel's illness seemed in line with that. She'd mentioned Koz a couple times, and Courtney a lot. He knew Courtney was the woman Gemma had hired to help in the garage office while she was under house arrest. Jax also knew Courtney was involved with Kozik, although obviously the relationship was new, it sounded like she had really connected with the blond biker. And with his Old Lady. Jax could tell that Tara already considered Courtney to be a friend even though they'd only known each other a week. Jax knew that trying to figure out the future right now was probably useless, since so much could happen during the next 14 months, but he wanted to have a game-plan anyway. He'd adjust it as needed, but pulling off the whole thing with Jimmy and Stahl gave him confidence that he could keep up with any changes as long as what he wanted as the final result was solid. A lot of it would come down to votes, and Jax realized he better figure out a way to get Juice solidly on his side, if it came down to a fight between Jax and Clay/Tig. He was pretty sure that Bobby would be on his side now that he knew the truth about Donna's death. Happy, well, Happy was an unknown at the moment; Jax was pretty sure Happy wouldn't be a lock for either side until there was clearly someone in control. He respected Clay, but also realized that Jax was the future of the club. He might even want to go back to Tacoma upon ending his stay at Stockton if his mother passed away during their term in prison. A lot to think about, and a lot of time before final decisions had to be made. Jax was grateful for having the opportunity to make plans, and that his time was short. His only true current regret was not being with Tara during the rest of her pregnancy and the birth of their child. It sucked, but at least he'd be home before the little guy or girl was out of diapers.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N So, now that the series has ended, I'm trying to finish up this story. Kind of took the wind out of my muse's sails when Kozik was killed but for some reason seeing how Sutter had the show end makes me feel like I can go back and write again. Weird, I know. Anyway here we go.

Friday night at the clubhouse was business as usual. Beer, shots, porn stars, and blow jobs. Among other things. Kozik made an appearance, but soon realized there was nothing going on that needed his attention. Piney, Chibs, and Opie were making the rounds. He'd made a trip to Oakland, and then to Stockton, and everything still seemed to be going smooth with the Irish, Bastards, and Mayans. Jax and Clay were happy with his report. Opie seemed okay with the messages passed along to him from the President and VP, so Kozik decided to text Courtney to see if she was still at Tara's.

'Can I come over or u still w/Doc?'

'Leaving in a few. My place?'

'Wear something sexy.'

'20 minutes.'

'Beat u there.'

'Slow & steady takes the race.'

'Blaze I will take u slow & steady, fast & hard, anywhere in between. Whatever u want, when u want it.

'Tonight. I want to be with you tonight.' Was the reply that made his heart stop for a few seconds, and it scared Koz how much he cared about Courtney and how he couldn't remember the last time, if ever, he was more concerned with thinking about how much his partner would enjoy sex as much as he would. 'You got it', was all his reply said.

'Mmmmm, that was fantastic,' Courtney's drawl was more pronounced than Koz had ever noticed as she snuggled to his side, throwing a leg over his hips.

'You're amazing,' Koz lifted her hand from his chest and pressed a kiss to her knuckles.

'Worth the wait?' she teased.

'Oh yeah it was. Definitely.'

'Not that a week since our first kiss is that long of a wait. Can't believe I've known you, been in Charming, 10 days. So much has happened. It's kind of crazy.'

'That only how long it's been? You're right, seems like it must've been more. Some ways it feels like you've been around a lot longer than that, just 'case you fit in so well with everyone and stuff.'

'I hadn't even stopped to think about it 'til just now. Guess it's because we've spent time together every day. I feel like I know you better than I have people I knew for much longer. Well, parts of you anyway.'

Koz took a deep breath, the pulled Courtney on top of him so he could look into her eyes and she could look into his. 'You wanna start knowing club shit?'

Courtney held her own breath as she searched his eyes carefully. 'No, I don't think I do. Not yet.'

'Okay. But we'll have this conversation again, probably soon. If this thing between us is going where I think it is, you're going to need to know everything I can tell you. I've fallen for you hard, Courtney; I want you to be my old lady. But you need to know what that means before it happens. Not some half-in bullshit, trying to keep personal life, garage life, and club life all separate. Because I don't think that can work; not for me anyway.'

'Can we just see where it goes for now? I like you so much, Kozik; I want to just enjoy 'us' for a little bit, okay?'

'Yeah, that's okay with me,' he grinned amiably. 'Good night, Blaze.'

'Night Sparky.'


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Thanks for the new and continued followers of my little story. Thanks also to Mrssilvers for the encouragement and extra push to keep things going :)

And so life continued for the next several weeks. Courtney and Koz grew closer each passing day. He stayed at her house every night; even the nights he had to be at the club house or make a run for SAMCRO; he ended up easing himself into Courtney's bed at some point during the night. Courtney continued to become more comfortable working at the garage and no longer needed help to figure out how to best serve their customers. The mechanics were also getting used to the changes she'd started implementing, and all agreed things were going smoothly. She, Tara, and Lyla kept building their friendships by having lunch and girls' nights on a regular basis. Courtney also spent some time with Gemma, getting to know the older woman better. It was an interesting time for Courtney. She was falling head-over-heels in love with Kozik. She had a home she loved, with a fantastic garden. She had a job that was not overwhelming, but changed enough every day to be interesting and sometimes even challenging. In addition to her friendships with Tara and Lyla, Courtney had joined a book club through the library; a local gardening club, and volunteered at the homeless shelter, so she was really starting to establish roots with the community as well. The only dark spot was SAMCRO. Courtney noticed some of the people she interacted with treated her a little differently once they learned she was dating a guy from the MC. Some treated her a little more deferentially; others treated her like she was suddenly a leper; or they were afraid of her. Courtney knew she was already in too deep but it was too easy to focus on the good things and enjoy their growing relationship and ignore the problem of the club. But it was all taken out of her hands with a quick phone call from Opie late one night.

'Koz?' Courtney answered the phone sleepily, noticing it was nearly 3 am.

'It's Opie. You need to get to the clubhouse Courtney. Koz has been hurt.'

'Hurt how? Why the clubhouse and not St. Thomas?'

Opie's reply was impatient. 'Tara's on the way to take care of him. Can't go to a hospital. Are you on your way or do I tell him his old lady ain't coming?'

'Yeah, I'll be there.'

Tara's car was already there when Courtney pulled into the lot. Koz's motorcycle was not anywhere she could see. Courtney had no idea what to expect. First she'd never been in the clubhouse before. Second; Koz was hurt. Not being able to go to the hospital could mean a lot of things, but Courtney was pretty sure it meant he'd been shot. Maybe stabbed. Probably shot. And that could only mean he'd been hurt doing something illegal, and that meant she'd no longer be able to ignore anything hinky about SAMCRO after tonight. She was either accepting it, or she and Koz were done; and Courtney would leave Charming. She knew it was down to that as she approached the clubhouse door; there was no way she could keep her life as it currently was without Kozik in it.

Miles was waiting for Courtney right inside the door. There were a lot of people there, she noticed, but the mood was somber and grim. The scantily clad women were huddled mostly in a small group. The guys were all either at the bar or pool tables, although nobody was playing pool. Phil was behind the bar, along with Chucky. They both shot her concerned looks, as did the other guys who noticed her enter. Miles put an arm under her elbow. The croweaters looked at her curiously.

'He's in Jax's dorm. Tara's already working on him. He's gonna be okay.'

'Just take me there please Miles.'

Koz was face down on the bed. Blood was on the sheets, and had soaked through what remained of the white wife-beater covering his upper torso. Tara was working on what looked like his shoulder, an open medical bag on the bed against Koz's side. Chibs was helping; to Courtney it looked like the affable Scotsman was fairly comfortable holding whatever pieced of medical equipment that was in his hands. Courtney swallowed hard at the sight and smell of the blood; then sent Opie, who was looming over the bed, an unfathomable look before addressing Tara.

'What can I do to help, Tara?' she bent to press a kiss to Koz's forehead before asking quietly. 'How you doing, Sparky?'

'Better with you here, Blaze. Sorry.'

'I know. Tara?'

'Can you hold the forceps for Chibs? Just take over where his hands are and hold them steady so Chibs can start an IV?'

'Yeah. Like this?'

'Thatta girl,' Chibs reassured her gently. 'That's perfect. What do you want in it Tara?'

'Bag of saline, 5 mgs morphine. Wish I had some A- for him; he's lost a lot of blood.'

'I'm A-,' Courtney said softly. 'I can donate. I'm over 110, haven't donated in more than two months, and well. It's not like any of this is kosher anyway, right? You can do a direct person-to-person transfusion.'

'Hard to regulate how much blood is transfused that way.'

'If I pass out, it's too much. Elevate my feet and give me some water and juice. Or alcohol,' she added as an afterthought, realizing where she was.

'Okay. Can you keep holding the forceps while Chibs gets you two ready for it?'

'Try and stop me.'

Courtney held on while Chibs got her and Koz ready for the transfusion. She responded quickly when Tara asked her to adjust the angle of the forceps. Once they started the transfusion, Chibs took over the forceps again. Courtney was now seated at the head of the bed, one arm connected to Koz with needles and plastic tubing, the other pressing a towel down hard just above the area Tara was working on, trying to staunch the flow of blood.

'Chibs, can you get that other vein? I can't see what I'm doing here. You holding up okay, Courtney? Not gonna pass out on me, are you?'

'I'm good. Is he going to be okay, Tara?'

'Yeah, I just can't quite get a hold of the bullet. Looks like it missed bone, nerves, tendons; pretty much everything vital I think but can't quite tell for sure until it's out. Like I said, he did lose a lot of blood, and it'll take a couple weeks to heal. Probably put him on antibiotics; and it's gonna hurt like hell for a few days. Ah, got it.'

After removing the bullet, Tara set to work repairing the damage as best she could. She had Chibs put an end to the transfusion, noticing that Courtney was looking a little pale and not wanting to end up with two patients. Miles, who had hung around just inside the door, was dispatched to find water and juice for both Courtney and Koz. Opie still stood silently, watching over everything. He couldn't tell exactly what Courtney was thinking about the entire situation, other than obviously being upset and worried. Courtney had quickly become a part of all their lives, and Opie knew this situation was one they'd all subconsciously been waiting for; Koz was going to have to spell out for Courtney that being part of SAMCRO entailed illegal activities and that he was the go-to guy for enforcement, and she was either going to deal with it, or no longer be part of their lives. He thought of Donna, and how he wished he had been more open with her about the club; the conversations he and Jax had had about Tara, Donna, and Lyla, and wished Jax was here to help deal with the situation. If Courtney flaked, it was going to be a mess on so many differently levels, and Opie didn't want to think about dealing with any of them. He knew she was too smart to not realize a lot of the shit the club was involved in, but that was different that seeing your boyfriend shot, and your doctor friend treating him not in the hospital, but in a dingy dorm room that probably hadn't been cleaned since before Jax went to Stockton. He sighed.

'Hey, Courtney, let's see if we can find you something to eat while Tara and Chibs finish patching up Koz,' the hand under her elbow lifting her up and heading her towards the door gave he no choice but to comply. She was angry, but the look Koz sent her kept Courtney from doing anything but leave quietly. She shook her arm from Opie's grasp the minute they cleared the dorm room, though. And walked ahead of him to the stool at the bar that Badger had vacated so she could sit.

'How's Koz?'

'Tara thinks he's going to be okay. She got the bullet and is patching things up now,' Opie announced to the room before growling into Courtney's ear. 'This shit happens with what we do. This is our life. Can you handle it?'

'Yeah; I get it. Chucky, if there are still bananas, I'd like one please. Or an apple would be okay. Thank you.'

Opie leaned down to get in Courtney's face, and she met his gaze steadily. 'Are you sure about that? If you're gonna flake, you do it now. You up to this as your life? Knowing every time your man gets on his bike, you might get another phone call like you did tonight? Or facing a couple years alone while he's doing time in Stockton? You up for that, Courtney?

'You left out the chance of me being shot in the back of the head, kidnapped, beaten to death with a baseball bat, gang-raped or whatever else some rival gang might do to a SAMCRO old lady to hurt her man or the club,' she volleyed back. 'Just because I don't know what exactly is going on with your club right now doesn't mean I don't know what happened in the past. I was lying to myself that I'd have a choice to walk away once Koz started telling me about what he was doing for SAMCRO. I knew on some level what I was getting into from day one, and I knew the first time I kissed him I wasn't going anywhere. I am not going anywhere.'

'Okay,' Opie snaked an arm around her shoulders and hugged her quickly. 'Eat your banana and drink some water, then go check on Koz. Patches in Church. Chucky hang around. Phil ask Chibs to come to the Chapel; you help Tara if she still needs it. Miles, keep an eye on Courtney and make sure you don't let her hit the floor if she passes out. Everyone else, get the fuck out. Now.'

Courtney silently ate her banana and drank from the bottle of water in front of her. She thought about what she'd just told Opie. She was a little shocked to think about how easily she'd accepted a bunch of outlaws into her life. Courtney had never even had a parking ticket, and now she was associating with people who broke the law on a regular basis. She'd been done for the moment Koz had smiled at her that first day, telling her she looked like she would have nice penmanship. Courtney was pretty sure that was the moment she fell in love with him. She grabbed the half-empty water bottle and headed back to the dorm room, one part of her conversation with Opie suddenly echoing in her head. Miles trailed behind, hovering in the doorway as Courtney walked over to the bed.

'Good timing, I just finished up. Phil helped me change sheets. I gave Koz antibiotics, and something for the pain. I'll be back to check on him around 7. If the pain gets too bad before that, give him two of these,' Tara held up a bottle. 'Call me if you notice he seems feverish, or if he starts bleeding again. How are you feeling, Courtney?'

'I'm good. Go home and get some sleep, Tara. And thanks.'

'Yeah. I'll see you in a few hours. Really, call if you're worried about anything.'

'I will. Good night, Tara.'

'Night.'

Courtney shooed Miles and Phil from the room. She took off her shoes and carefully got into bed on Koz's non-injured side. He opened one eye and smiled a little, reaching over to hold her hand. She squeezed his hand tightly for a second, and then relaxed her grip.

'You doing okay, Koz?'

'I'll be all right. Tara's a good doctor. How are you holding up?' he asked seriously.

'Had a chat with Opie, he seemed worried I was going to sneak out of town in the middle of the night.'

'Are you?'

'No. I don't think so. Depends on how you respond to a question I have. Are you up to the question or do you need to sleep first? I know you're hurting, and the drugs and everything…'

'Ask it,' Koz didn't hesitate. 'I'm good.'

'Donna. Luann Delaney. Lyla. Margaret Murphy. Tara. Gemma. They were killed, hurt, raped, kidnapped by people trying to hurt SAMCRO, right? You, Koz. Do you hurt women from rival clubs like that, to send a message or get revenge?'

'No.'

'Okay. Everything else can wait. I'm tired.'

'So am I.'

'I love you.'

Carefully Koz reached over to wipe a tear from Courtney's cheek, gently caressing her skin 'I love you, too. Get some sleep.'

Courtney didn't think she would fall back asleep. Her mind was racing with so many thoughts. She was worried about Koz, and wanted to stay vigilant about making sure he didn't start bleeding or have a fever kick in, which would mean an infection, she knew. But she was tired. And so even though she fought against it, Courtney did fall asleep soon after Koz. Phil and Miles took turns checking on Koz every half hour, tasked with making sure their SaA didn't bleed to death overnight.


End file.
